Disturbance, The Complete Story
by Dark Phoenix Reborn
Summary: It all begins with a tournament. An ancient evil arises, threatening existence itself, and only Earth's finest can stop it. Contains Gohan x Videl action. Sequel to The Phoenix Chronicles and When World's Collide, series 3 of 3. Contains all 3 books.
1. C01: Sons of Plunder

--- Disturbance, Book 1: Convergence ---

Chapter C01 - Sons of Plunder

Disclaimer: Yeah, like I own Dragonball Z. If I did, would I be posting stories where anyone can read them for free? Yeah, didn't think so. I do, however, own any and all original characters; well, my friend and me do, at least. I also don't own any and all songs, movie and/or books mentioned or hinted at throughout this series. That cover everything?

Other Disclaimer: The events described within this series are entirely fictional. Any and all similarities between these and actual events are purely coincidental. If you believe something within this story infringes on events that transpired in your life, we advise you to seek psychiatric help, as you are probably insane.

Additional Note: For those looking for the start of Book 2: Divergence, it starts at chapter 21. However, if you haven't already read the first 20 chapters, you're probably going to be a little lost.

-Legend-  
"blah" – speech  
'blah' – thoughts  
"**blah"** – Saiyan / Saiya-Go  
"_blah"_ – telepathy  
_-blah-_ - song lyrics

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_-Tell me you like it / Tell me you like it-  
__-You say you found yourself a new sound / The shit's loaded and ready to go-_

Gohan yawned widely, turning his head from gazing listlessly out the window to cast his eyes over the other occupants of the airbus, as he listened to Vegeta bitch about how he'd ridden faster galactic slugs. While the spiky-haired teen himself had never even _seen_ a galactic slug, let alone ridden one, he doubted it could have travelled _slower_ than this thing...

He tuned out Bulma's counter-screech, despite the fact it almost made his ears bleed as it echoed through the confines of the airbus. On the pair of seats directly in front of him sat his little brother and his partner-in-terror, Goten and Trunks, the pair sitting strangely quiet. 'Probably nervous about the tournament... After all, they've never fought in front of an audience before,' he mused to himself, continuing his scrutiny over the rest of the passengers.

Krillin and 18 sat opposite the terrors, Marron being held on 18's lap; with the strength the cyborg woman had, the young blonde was no doubt safer there than any seatbelt could match. The two were talking quietly, and from what he could hear, the formerly bald monk was bemoaning his fate, considering no less than _five_ Saiyans were competing in this year's tournament, four of them full-bloods.

_-A bit too much just like the old sound / Already heard it for the hundredth time-_

His mother sat next to Bulma in the front, the two chatting away cheerfully, while sparks danced between their eyes as the two rival mothers not-so-secretly competed vicariously through their husbands and children; Chichi had three entrants to Bulma's two, so, naturally, she felt she had the better odds of 'winning'. Directly opposite Gohan sat Vegeta, the flame-haired man wearing his trademark blue-spandex-with-white-boots-and-gloves combo, and between the two sat his grandfather, the Ox King, and Master Roshi.

Yawning again, Gohan subconsciously adjusted his blue gi, the same style that had become his standard, as his mind drifted to the topic of the person he'd spent the past fortnight training in the ways of ki manipulation, the same girl he was fast falling for. 'Videl... I wonder how she's doing...'

_-One hundred more, all have the same sound / Running around with all the sheep that you know-_

'I. Am. In. HELL!'

Videl ground her teeth together as she fought the urge to punch her father right in the mouth, as he flapped his gums to some nameless blonde hussy, draped across his lap like a housecat. The half-plastic bimbo giggled mindlessly as 'the Champ' blathered on about how there was no competition for him, and about how the tournament organisers should just hand him the check and be done with it. He then did a one-eighty, going on about how, if they did that, the people wouldn't get to see 'the Champ' in action. And then came that grating horselaugh of his.

It was at times like this she really hated her father. She'd wanted to travel to the tournament island with Gohan and his family, but her father insisted - no, _ordered_ - her to go with him. Not so that he could spend time with her, of course, but so he could show her off to his adoring fans like a trophy. It was enough to make her feel sick. Running a hand through her now-short hair - her new haircut prompted from a simple, off-handed comment from Gohan - she reflected back on her training.

_-"It sounds sublime, they're breaking new ground" / "They're sure to have another hit this time"-_

The lessons Gohan promised had not started well. It had taken her a full day just to _access_ her ki, and another week before she could control it enough to fly properly; Gohan had started her off with creating a ki blast, stating it was easier than flight, which, as it turned out, it was. Nonetheless, Gohan has assured her that she was progressing quickly, then joked with her that he had been taught how to fly by being thrown at mountains until he could stop himself; at least, she _thought_ he was joking...

After having spent the past fortnight around Gohan's family, she had to admit she'd almost be jealous of how her spiky-haired crush had things at home, if his family hadn't all but adopted her as one of theirs; Goten was always calling her 'neechan', an action which made matching blushes appear on both her and Gohan's faces the first couple of times, and Chichi was all smiles while she was there, insisting she come over whenever she felt like it, and that there was always room for her if she wanted to stay the night.

Blissfully, she noticed that their transport was descending, meaning her nightmare was almost over; her mood instantly soured as she looked out the window, seeing the hordes of screaming sheep, and realising that another nightmare was about to begin.

_-Come on, can't you just leave it alone / It doesn't have any soul-_

Gohan yawned widely again, stretching his arms and flexing his back to work out the kinks from the long flight, while secretly vowing to himself to never again agree to ride in that thing, anywhere, ever. Finishing his stretch, he grabbed Goten and Trunks by the scruff of their gi's as they made to race away, hoisting the pair onto his shoulders as he walked over to where they'd agreed to meet the others, trusting the rest to follow.

Arriving at the wooded courtyard, he noticed that they were the last ones to arrive. Piccolo was standing in the shade of a tree, as far away from prying eyes as possible, and with him were Kaen and Pi's fathers, Avarrdo and Kellre, the three of them discussing something. Yamcha was standing around nearby with Truniz, the two having hit it off well several months back; if Gohan remembered rightly, the two still went bar-hopping together every now and then.

Over the other side of the courtyard stood April, Raene, and Cherri; Avarrdo, Kellre, and Truniz's mates respectively, the latter bond being only three weeks old. Nonetheless, the two older women had instantly adopted the third as one of them, and the three of them were happily chatting away; he vaguely noticed Bulma and his mother going over to join them.

_-Just find a thing of your own / And stop pretending to know-_

In the centre of the courtyard were a series of wooden benches, set up in a circular shape, and upon these benches sat a series of familiar faces: Kat, Leo, Aeris, Hawk, Falcon, Eagle, and Condor. Off to one side was another group, consisting of everyone under ten: Faile, Oran, Lime, Vincent, and Gina. Setting Goten and Trunks down, he watched them race over to the other children before heading to the group on the benches, as he noticed 18 joining the circle of women, Marron joining the group of children, Roshi and Krillin joining Truniz and Yamcha, and his grandfather and Vegeta joining the older men; everyone, it seemed, had their circle of close friends amongst the large group of mostly-friends.

Casting his mind over the list of attendees again, he realised that everyone _wasn't_ here yet. He was mildly upset to realise that Videl wasn't here, but then he didn't fully expect her to have gotten away from her father either; she'd told him the previous night that if she could, she would, but if not, she'd see him during the prelims. He also noticed Kaen and Pi weren't there yet either; closing his eyes and stretching out his mind's eye, he felt the ki signatures of the pair for the first time in a month, noticing that they were approaching the island, albeit from different directions, almost as if they hadn't been together...

There was one other of their group that hadn't turned up yet, but then, being the guest of honour, Gohan knew he'd be late. Son Goku, his father, was coming back for the tournament. Gohan couldn't wait. It wasn't that he hadn't seen his father for that long - after all, Goku still visited every now and then - but Goku had never been able to stay for more than a few hours before, so they'd never had a chance to properly catch up. And by 'catch up', Gohan meant fight.

_-As the countless numbers hunger / For world wide renown-_

"Hey Gohan, how was your 'training'?" His introspection was broken by teasing tone of Kat's voice. Opening his eyes and looking over at her, he noticed her yellow eyes sparkling, and the big grin on her face as she added, "Did you 'train' her good and hard?" Gohan blushed. Her statement sounded innocent enough, but Gohan knew what she meant by 'training'; after all, the girl was familiar with Saiyan culture.

Clearing his throat to compose himself, he replied levelly, "Videl's ki manipulation lessons went well; other than that, there was no 'training' involved." He muttered an 'unfortunately' under his breath, and at the same time heard Kat add a 'yet'; he was well past admitting he felt something for the formerly pig-tailed girl.

_-All the pimping sons of plunder / Will roll up their sleeves-_

Kat opened her mouth again to continue teasing, but before she could so much as utter a syllable, cries of "Niichan!" and "Neechan!" rang out from Oran and Lime respectively, as the two full-blooded Saiyan half-pints threw themselves at the latest arrivals to the group. Heads spun around in the direction the newly arrived pair was standing; in his distraction, Gohan hadn't noticed their approach.

Almost everyone not seated on one of the benches felt some degree of shock at the large scar running across the fiery male's face, having not laid eyes on him for at least a month, though some showing this shock more than others; while Bulma gaped openly at the striking change to his appearance, Vegeta didn't so much as bat an eye, and Kaen and Pi's respective families looked more curious than shocked. Eventually, it was Krillin who spoke, asking, "Who did that to you?"

A grin on his face, Kaen replied cryptically, "I did."

More confused than before, Yamcha added, "Uh, how? Why?"

If anything, his grin just widened as he replied, "Ah, now that would be telling."

_-All searching for the answers / They don't even care to know-_

He was saved from anymore questioning by a sudden rush of air, and a familiar voice calling out, "Hey guys! Did you miss me?"

The reaction to this particular newcomer was, to say the least, overwhelming, as every Z-Fighter present raced up to greet their returned friend with a simultaneous shout of "Goku!" The only Z-Fighters who didn't fit this category were Gohan, who walked up calmly, albeit with a massive smile on his face, and Goten, who literally _jumped_ into Goku's arms from where he stood; Piccolo and Vegeta didn't even twitch, but they didn't really consider themselves Z-Fighters anyway, and Goku wasn't exactly a 'friend' to either of them.

Casting his eyes across the courtyard, Kaen locked eyes with Vegeta, the two sharing a silent conversation before the older man nodded, turned, and began walking towards the stadium; specifically, the sign-in booths. Casting his eye over the Club Chaos gang (into which Leo and Aeris had been inducted), he inclined his head in the direction Vegeta left in, before putting an arm around Pi's waist and following, and with a shrug, the gang followed. They didn't really care who this 'Goku' guy was; they came to see Phoenix and Roc fight.

_-Give it to me, give it to me / You like it?-_

After a few minutes, all greetings, and the occasional bit of teasing (like about Krillin's hair) were made, Goku looked around, realising someone was missing. "Hey, where's Vegeta?" he asked no one in particular.

"He went to register already." Piccolo replied from his spot in the shade.

Goku just laughed, "Typical Vegeta; eager to fight as always."

"He probably left to question my wayward son about where he's been for the past month," Avarrdo commented offhandedly.

The comment seemed to cause the Earth-raised Saiyan to realise the other Saiyans were there. Laughing in his typical way and rubbing the back of his neck, Goku commented, "Sorry, I guess I didn't see you guys there." Suddenly realising something, he added, "Wait, he's back on Earth? Since when?"

Kellre grinned, "You really don't keep up-to-date on events here on Earth do you Kakarott?"

Any further questions were silenced when Gohan interrupted, "In any case, he's got the right idea. We should go sign up, assuming we actually want to compete today." He finished with a smart-ass grin. Deciding that this was, in fact, a good idea, the group headed off after them.

_-I'm still surrounded by the new sound / I've had enough and I'm ready to go-_

By the time the group arrived at the sign-in booths, Vegeta, Kaen and Pi had already registered and were waiting, leaning casually against the wall nearby. The two males had their eyes closed, but the occasional facial twitch showed the two were talking telepathically; Pi, meanwhile, was conversing with Kat and the others, and fending off questions about where they'd been for the past month, other than to say that, for the past two weeks, they'd been training separately.

The Z-Fighters who were going to be competing in the tournament - that being Goku, Gohan, Piccolo, Krillin, 18, Goten, and Trunks - all quickly moved to register before the line got too long. As Goku began to regale the others with stories of his time in Otherworld, Gohan cast his senses out, searching for Videl; he needn't have bothered.

"Hey Gohan!"

He turned his head quickly in the direction of the shout, seeing a familiar crop of dark hair weaving it's way through the throng of people towards him. His face broke into a grin as her familiar face slipped past the crowd. "Hey yourself Videl."

_-I'll strangle hold about the world now / The new obsession will fade in time-_

Taking a moment to catch her breath, she said, somewhat apologetically, "Hey, sorry I couldn't meet up with you guys earlier; I only just managed to get away from 'The Champ'. Have you registered yet?"

Gohan just waved the apology off, grinning at her good-naturedly, "Nah, don't worry about it. I figured you were caught up in something. And no, we haven't registered yet; just about to actually."

"Who's this Gohan?" Krillin's voice interrupted, a strong teasing undertone to it. "Is this your-"

"Guys, I want you to meet Videl," Gohan cut the shorter man off. "Videl, this is Krillin, and his wife 18, my old mentor Piccolo, and my father."

_-I fear reminder of the past now / I'm coming up and now I'm ready to go-_

"Pleased to meet-" The girl cut herself off as she realised something, "Wait, father?" Turning to Goku, and clearly seeing the resemblance both to Gohan and Goten, and to old pictures she'd seen, she added, "Uh, forgive me if I say the wrong thing, but, Gohan said you were dead..."

The spiky-haired man blinked for a moment, before laughing cheerfully, "Oh, that's alright. I _am_ dead." He paused, flicking the golden halo above his head, before adding, "See? I died seven years ago. I'm just back for the day."

She blinked, "So... You're dead, but you're allowed to come back for the day?" When he nodded, she blinked again, before her confusion quickly changed to anger; anger which was, as usual, directed at her half-Saiyan crush. "Gohan, you've got some explaining to do..."

_-Their hearts and bones remember this now / I think you've given us a few this time-_

The pleasant conversation, and the mental conversation, cut off abruptly as a hand fell on either of Kaen's shoulders, the arms tracing up to the stern faces of a pair of fathers. As Kaen's eyes slid open, flashing a fiery red for a moment, he gazed upwards to regard the older men's faces, asking dryly, "Yes?"

His expression a grim mask, Avarrdo commented, "We need to talk." With that, the two older men all but dragged the younger away.

Blinking in surprise, Pi turned to her adopted sister and asked, "What's that about?"

Kat just shrugged, "Probably because you guys've been missing for a month. We couldn't sense you or anything."

_-Come on, can't you just leave it alone / It doesn't have any soul-_

Pi opened her mouth to reply, but was drowned out by shocked cries of "What? Junior Division?" coming from the two kids in the registry line, followed by Gohan trying to appease them by saying that, this way, they stood a chance of winning. Muttering sourly as they walked off, Trunks turned to the other kids assembled and asked, "Hey, are any of you guys competing?"

Oran answered for them, snorting, "Pfft, no; why would we? We've got nothing to prove, and it's not like any of us need money."

Lime shrugged and added, "'Sides, we figured you two'd end up in the junior division, and we knew we couldn't defeat you guys yet, so, what's the point? If we wanted to fight you, we'd do it somewhere where half a million people wouldn't see it."

_-Just find a thing of your own / And stop pretending to know-_

Trunks opened his mouth to retort, but like Pi before him, he was cut off by a shout, and all heads shot in the direction the sound came from. This time, the voice belonged to Kaen, exclaiming, "HEY! She is _my_ mate, and **I** will take care of her how **I** want to! Keep your nose out of my business old man!" The group was too far away for the humans to hear Kellre's reply, and he leant in close to Kaen's ear and angled his voice low so the others couldn't hear either, but whatever he said obviously struck a chord, as Kaen, usually ever the tough-guy, cringed.

"Did... Did Kaen just flinch?" Videl asked dazedly, not believing her eyes.

"I... I think he did..." Gohan replied, just as surprised.

Pi just put a hand to her forehead and groaned, muttering, "My dad is _such_ an embarrassment..."

Digesting this new information, Videl asked, "So, Kaen is scared of your father? I didn't think he was scared of anything?"

Pi grinned, "Name a guy that _isn't_ scared of his girlfriend's father?" **"And you don't count Gohan!"** she jibbed teasingly, before adding, "No, seriously, Kaen _isn't_ scared of anything, or anyone, but he does _respect_ my father, and that respect goes a long way. I mean, I could count the number of people Kaen truly respects with just my fingers, and probably then only need one hand."

Conversation over, Kaen began walking back to the group, before noticing every eye on him. Growling harshly, he barked, "What are you gawking at?" Every head snapped away so fast you could almost head a few vertebrae crack.

_-As the countless numbers hunger / For world wide renown-  
__-All the pimping sons of plunder / Will roll up their sleeves-_

The registration process continued as normal, the only oddity being that Piccolo registered under the name 'Ma Junior'. When Gohan questioned him why, the Namek had merely smiled slightly and replied, "Precedence."

Currently, the fighters were assembled in what was called the 'practice yard' behind the tournament stage, awaiting the start of the preliminaries that would determine which fifteen fighters would go on to challenge Hercule for the title. Steeling himself, Gohan turned to the girl beside him and asked a question that had been bothering him for a while. "Hey Videl," he paused while the girl turned to face him, "How come you haven't said anything about Piccolo?" When her curious expression turned confused, he clarified, "You know, because he's green."

_-All searching for the answers / They don't even care to know-  
__-Give it to me, give it to me / You like it?-_

She turned to face the Namek, her face paling a shade, before she looked back at him and replied, "You know, I never noticed until now... Guess meeting your dead father kind of threw me off..." What she didn't want to say was that she'd been so distracted by just being with Gohan himself that a nuclear blast could have gone off and she wouldn't have noticed if not for the heat and wind.

Changing the subject quickly, lest she start asking questions he, like an idiot, hadn't considered until _after_ his last statement, he asked, "So, do you know what these preliminaries involve?"

She grunted sourly, "Yeah, it's some stupid punch machine that tests the fighter's strength." Shaking her head, she continued, "If you ask me it's a waste of time. How strong a fighter is doesn't always determine who's going to win..." Grunting again, she added, "You can thank dear ol' dad for this particular change..."

"Why?" Goku's voice interrupted, "Who's your father?"

She turned to face the older man, confused again. "You don't..." She trailed off as she realised who, exactly, had asked, muttering, "Oh, right, dead..." Shaking her head, she replied, "My father's Hercule Satan. He won the last tournament, so he's got some clout with the organisers."

_-As it's blown apart, hundreds thrown away / Makes me question just what I believe-_

Krillin burst out laughing as he heard who her father was, while Goku seemed to be racking his brain trying to place the man, "Satan... Satan... Ah, I remember him now. Still got the brown gi, afro and giant moustache?" Fortunately, Goku knew that Gohan had not come forward with his claim as victor over Cell, and had instead let 'that fool Satan', as Chichi put it, take the title instead, so he knew not to bring up the subject.

Videl just nodded replying dryly, "'Fraid so. He's really got no sense of style..." She probably would have continued to bag her father, finally glad to find another group of people who didn't like her father (the first being Kaen's circle of friends), had the announcer-slash-organiser not interrupted her fun by arriving.

"May I have everyone's attention please?" Once the crowd of people quietened down, the blonde man continued, "Now, first thing, I'd like to welcome everyone to the twenty-fifth Tenkaichi Budokai." The man paused again as a roar went up from much of those assembled, before he continued again when quiet resumed. "Now then, I give you the man who needs no introduction: HERCULE!"

_-Brothers torn apart, mindless drones enslaved / Makes me search for an answer I don't want to know-_

Once again, a massive roar went up from the people assembled, so much so the five Saiyans, and one Namek, had to hold their hands over their ears to avoid going deaf. The group tuned the man out as he went on about his greatness, and how he hoped everyone had been training so he could have a challenge, as well as most of the rest of the crap that spewed from his mouth. Several of the group - namely Kaen and Vegeta - mentally willed him to die as he show-boated, but unfortunately, lacked the ability to kill telepathically; fortunately, Piccolo put a quick stop to that by blowing up every camera in the area.

_-It's like a plague from below / Killing all that I know-  
__-One hundred voices the same / Drench their sorrow in fame-_

His capering was put to an end by the announcer suggesting Hercule strike the punch machine to give them a score to go by, and after 'focusing' the 'Champ' struck the red pad with his hairy fist, registering 137, before declaring he hoped some people at least broke triple digits, and striding off like a peacock; Videl just groaned, muttering to herself about how much of an idiot her father was, and making not-so joking promises of disowning him.

Finally, it came time for the assembled fighters to try out, but, unfortunately, it turned out that they needed to try out in the order they'd registered, meaning many people has quite a while to wait...

_-As the countless numbers hunger / For world wide renown-_

Almost half an hour later, it finally came turn for the first three of their group to try out: Kaen, Pi, and Vegeta. The older of the two flame-haired men grinned as the younger walked up to strike the machine, jeering, "Come on boy, let's see what you can do."

_-All the pimping sons of plunder / Will roll up their sleeves-_

Stopping in front of the machine, Kaen fell into a loose stance, drawing back his right fist and even winding up a bit for show... before quickly jabbing the machine with his left. The numbers on the screen flashed for a moment before stopping on 666; Kaen grinned in satisfaction, as the crowd gasped in shock.

One of the attendants commented, "Uh... It appears the machine is malfunctioning... Maybe it needs recalibrat-"

"Look," Kaen interrupted irritably, "If you think the machines wrong, I've got a simpler solution than you wasting more of my time fiddling with it. Why don't _you_ give it a try, and if you score over 10, we know there's a problem."

_-All searching for the answers / They don't even care to know-  
__-Give it to me, give it to me-_

The man sweat-dropped at the bluntness of Kaen's remark, but nonetheless he replied, "I suppose that's one idea..." Winding up, the attendant punched the red pad, the digits flashing for a second before displaying 006; the man sweat-dropped again, mumbling, "Well, it _looks_ like it's working..."

_-As the countless numbers hunger / For world wide renown-_

Sighing irritably, Kaen casually backhanded the machine, the numbers displaying 222 this time. Turning to the attendants, he growled, "Better?" The two men just nodded fearfully, so Pi took his place, copying his lazy swat and scoring herself 204.

_-All the pimping sons of plunder / Will roll up their sleeves-_

Vegeta, however, was having none of it. Vegeta would not hold back. Winding up, he delivered a solid blow to the very centre of the red pad. Moments later, the ruined remains of the machine crashed through the brick wall behind before bouncing off a nearby parked car and landing in the ocean. Spinning around to the mass of 'weakling humans' Vegeta sneered, "Anyone here who doesn't want to end up like that should just take off now." Not surprisingly, a bunch of those who had yet to try out fled.

_-All searching for the answers / They don't even care to know-_

Videl's eyes nearly fell out of her head as she exclaimed, "Did you see that? He not only destroyed the machine, but he sent it flying for at least half a mile!

Gohan just shook his head, "That's Vegeta for you."

_-Give it to me, give it to me /You like it?-_

Her head whipped in his direction, "Wait, you aren't the least bit surprised by this? I mean, I may not like my dad, but he's meant to be the strongest man in the world, and he only scored a 137, while _your friends_ are all scoring over 200. Care to explain?"

_-Tell me you like it-_

Gohan could only drop his head in defeat, groaning, "Vegeta..." This was _not_ something he wanted to explain right now.

_-Tell me you like it-_

"Well, I'm waiting," Videl remarked, tapping her foot irritably.

_-Tell me you like it-_

Gohan just sighed; it was going to be a long day. He had no idea how right he was...

_-Tell me you like it-_

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

Well, here we are, the first chapter of my third story arc, and this one promises to be a doozy. I will be honest and say I have no idea how long this series is going to be, but it will most definately come in over the 40 chapters mark, if not over 60, so it's been broken up into three 'books'. I have a rough-ish plan on the chapter layout for it, but that'll probably change the more I write. Rest assured, however, that the basic storyline _is_ completely planned out.

I'm going to be trying something a little different with my writing style. My original plan was to have each chapter set to a song, however, I haven't planned out all the songs yet. So as to not have this hamper my updating schedule, which I am going to try to have at once a week, I intend on writing the chapters first, and adding the song after. Thus, a chapter might be posted sans song. If this happens, and there's an update reported without a chapter being added, this means I've found the song for an already posted chapter and gone back to add it.

Also, if a chapter has been posted without a song, and you find one you believe suits it, feel free to let me know, and if I feel you're right that the song you chose is the best for the job, that'll be the song I use.

Any feedback about this series, or my plans for writing it, is appreciated - so long as it's constructive feedback - so leave a review if you want. I won't lose any sleep if you don't.

EDIT: Some minor formatting changes.


	2. C02: Just Stop

--- Disturbance, Book 1: Convergence ---

Chapter C02 - Just Stop

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See previous chapter.

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_-Just stop; Enough of the limitless critical comments on my life-_

Videl tapped her foot irritably, glaring at the taller man beside her. "Well Gohan, I'm waiting."

While Videl glared at him, there was a little debate going on inside the demi-Saiyan's head. On the one hand, he could tell her the truth, and risk her freaking out. On the other hand, he could lie, and risking pissing her off. Neither seemed like good options. Grinning internally, he reached his decision, replying, "Waiting for what Videl?"

_-Just drop the judgment and all of your pseudo-involvement in my life-_

She growled at him, "Oh don't think you're getting out of this one Son Gohan! How on Earth did he break that machine?"

"With his fist," he replied, deadpanned.

She rolled her eyes, muttering, "Thank you Captain Obvious."

"Saiyaman actually," Gohan replied, the slightest bit of a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Glaring at him again, she barked, "Are you mocking me?"

Smirking slightly, he replied, "I'm not _not_ mocking you." Her face flushed red with anger, and he could swear he almost saw the steam coming out of her ears. Waiting until she was just about to explode, he commented offhandedly, "You know, you're cute when you're angry."

_-Step back a moment, and look at the miracle starting in our life-_

All anger left her, as did the breath she'd taken to commence yelling. Her anger being swiftly replaced by embarrassment, she was horrified to realise she had a sudden urge to preen like a giggly schoolgirl. She managed to stutter out, "I-I am not, stop saying that."

His smirk shifted into a grin, "Yes you are. Your cheeks puff out, and you've got the cutest little glare..." He trailed off, studying her for a moment, before adding, "You're kinda cute when you're embarrassed as well."

"I am not embarrassed!" She near-shouted, her anger returning. Crossing her arms, she huffed, "You're just saying that to rile me up. You gonna continue listing emotional expressions that make me 'cute'?"

He smirked again, "I dunno. I've only ever seen you angry and embarrassed."

_-Don't stop the moment, and let the incredible happen knowing that-_

She opened her mouth to begin berating him again, but got cut off by the short, formerly bald monk behind her, commenting, "Stop messing around with your girlfriend Gohan; the line's moving again."

Turning around, and seeing that true to Krillin's word, the line _was_ moving again, he quickly shuffled forward. When they were stationary again, he turned back to Videl, noticing the faint blush on her face from Krillin's 'girlfriend' crack; honestly, when was he gonna give it a rest, it was seven years ago... Waiting until she noticed he was facing her way again, he commented seriously, "Look Videl, I know you're curious about, well, pretty much everything in my life, so I'm gonna make you an offer: you don't ask questions about my life today, and I promise I will tell you everything you want to know when the tournament's over. Deal?"

She paused, watching him for any sign of deception. Seeing none, she accepted his outstretched hand, replying shakily, "I... okay. Um... thanks Gohan."

He smiled, "No problem." Grinning a bit, he added, "I think today might answer a few of those questions of yours anyway. I'd tell you to keep an eye out, but when do you not?" She just smiled back at him, but before she could reply, one of the monks by the machine called out to him; the try-outs wait for no man. With luck, they'd be finished in time to catch the start of the junior division. Idly, Gohan wondered what the boys were up to.

_-All that you want is to criticize-_

"Man, this is boring."

"You know Trunks, you really shouldn't complain so much."

The lavender-haired child turned in the direction of the voice, and was met by a grinning redhead. Scowling, he replied, "Shut up girl. How'd you get in here anyway? This area is for entrants only."

"What can I say? Security's not too tight 'round these parts," a cocky male voice commented.

_-Something for nothing-_

Goten's face broke into a grin at the sight of his friends: Faile, Oran, Lime, Vincent, and Gina. "Hey guys," he chirped, "What're you doing back here?"

Lime grinned back, "We thought we'd keep you boys company 'til they got things started, then slip out again to watch the fireworks."

Still scowling, Trunks asked bitterly, "Why didn't you guys compete anyway? And don't give me any of this 'we didn't feel like it' crap."

_-And all that I want is forgiveness one more time-_

Oran scowled back at him, "You know what? We don't have to explain ourselves to a brat like you."

Smirking, Trunks commented boastingly, "You're afraid aren't you? You know I'm better than you, and you're afraid to fight me."

Oran snorted, commenting derisively, "Geez, you really are your father's son aren't you? All ego, no brains."

_-To be the best in the world-_

Trunks scowled again, dropping into his stance and barking, "You wanna back that up with action, or are you all talk?" The twins shared a look for a moment before Lime stepped forward, falling into her own stance. Seeing this, Trunks sneered, "Hiding behind your sister huh?"

Oran snorted again, "Please. I'm stronger than her doofus."

"And I know Oran won't hold back like I will," Lime added, a smirk on her face, "whereas I'll go easy on you and won't hurt you. Much. Come on little boy, if you're not too scared to hit a girl."

_-Just stop with all of your little deliberate problems with my life-_

With a war cry Trunks leapt forward, aiming to punch the girl right between the eyes. The smirk still on her face, Lime waiting until the last minute before, just as the punch was less than a second from hitting her, she leant to the left, her right arm raised, so that the boy's arm went between her head, and her arm. Following her momentum, she spun around behind him, grabbing him under the left arm with her left, and jerking both the boy's arms painfully behind his head. To complete the hold, she raised her right leg, jabbing him in the spine.

"Come on Trunks," the girl taunted, as the younger boy struggled to break free, "I thought you were better than me. If you're so good, you should have no problem breaking out of this lock." When he stopped struggling, she could sense him beginning to power up, so quickly cut him off by harshly wrenching his arms back further, while driving her knee further into his back, forcing a cry of pain from him. "So you see now," she commented calmly, "how all your power is meaningless if you don't know how to use it properly." With this, she released him, giving him a quick crack over the back of the head, before moving to rejoin her brother.

_-Enough of all the crippling, terrible pain we feel inside-_

Rubbing his shoulders, he spat, "I'd like to see _you_ break out of it!"

The twins locked gazes again, before, with a shrug, the two assumed the lock, with Oran the one being held; as they explained, she chose to use that lock because someone taller than her, like Trunks or Oran, _could_ have broken out of it. Once they were in position, and demonstrated that Oran was held just as tightly as Trunks was before, the others watched in awe as the boy, with much struggling and obvious pain, latched onto his sisters arms, before tensing his legs and leaping into the air, using her as an anchor point to flip over her head; there _was_ a fairly loud crack as he did so, but in the end, he wound up holding her securely with her own lock.

_-Step back a moment, remember how the miracle started in our life-_

Releasing again, the two separated, Oran commented, "That's one way of doing it. I mean, there's plenty of simpler ways - she _was_ balanced on just one leg! - but that's the most flashy."

Faile gasped, pointing at his left shoulder and saying, "Your arm! It's-"

_-Take back the torment; I won't be enjoying this moment knowing that-_

"Oh right, that." The boy replied, calmly forcing the dislocated limb back into place, "It happens sometimes; I wasn't really concentrating, so..."

"You dislocated your arm just to prove a point?" Vincent deadpanned.

The boy shrugged, a grin on his face, "Hey, I've done it for less."

_-All that you want is to criticize-_

"I just can't believe it."

"Well, you should, you saw it yourself."

"I still can't believe it... It must be a mistake or something..."

_-Something for nothing-_

Gohan just laughed good-naturedly as the two walked in the direction of the fighter's waiting lounge, intending to visit his brother, and commented, "Videl, why do you have such a hard time believing you scored that high?"

She paused, turning to face him and replying, "Gohan, I scored a 274. My dad only got a 137! Surely I can't be twice as strong as him! I mean, he's the strongest man in the worl-" She trailed off as Gohan started laughing again.

Managing to reign in his laughter, Gohan commented teasingly, "Oh come on Videl, surely you don't still believe that after all you've seen?"

_-And all that I want is forgiveness one more time-_

Shrugging sheepishly, she replied, "No, not really. I guess old habits are hard to break though..." Gohan smiled to himself, thinking, 'Good. She's finally starting to accept things.' His musings were interrupted by her asking, "If you guys are all stronger than my dad, how come you didn't compete in the last tournament?"

Gohan just shrugged, "Had more important things on our minds at the time."

"Like what?" When Gohan didn't reply, she filed it away for later, assuming it to be one of those questions for after the tournament. Instead, he asked, "How come I scored higher than you then? Or Pi? Or Kaen?"

Grinning, Gohan replied, "In case you're forgetting, you _didn't_ score higher than Kaen; his first score was 666, remember? He toned it down for the judges, as did Pi and I. I mean, you saw what Vegeta did to that machine."

_-I know that / All that we want is to feel inside-_

"Just how strong are you anyway Gohan?"

He shrugged, "As I told you a month ago, I'm not exactly sure. I can't put a number to it anyway."

"My father didn't really beat Cell did he?"

_-Some kind of comfort-_

The spiky-haired teen was saved from having to either answer, or dance around the subject, by an orange missile slamming into his stomach, screaming "Niichan!" all the way; they had arrived at their destination.

"Hey there squirt," Gohan replied, setting the boy on the ground again, "Save some of that energy for the tournament."

"Hey Goten," Videl added, crouching down to his level, "You ready for the competition?"

_-And all that we've done-_

"Hey there Just Videl," Goten replied, a massive grin on his face; when they'd all been training together, Videl had told him she was 'just Videl', after he had insisted on calling her 'Nice Lady Videl' for a while. Now Goten wasn't stupid enough to honestly believe she wanted him to call her 'Just Videl'; he'd started doing it because it annoyed her, and his niichan had said that annoying Videl was okay, as long as he didn't do it too much, or do anything to hurt her. Goten didn't know _why_ he was allowed to annoy Videl, but he'd been given a golden ticket, and he wasn't going to pass it up for anything.

_-We can hide-_

Videl scowled at him for a moment, messing up his hair, before asking, "Hey, why is this guy knocked out?" She'd been the first to notice the KO'ed monk for a while.

Trunks was the one to reply, "Oran and the others kids dropped by to wish us luck." Having had some time to calm down, Trunks' inherent brat tendencies had died down a little.

"Where are they now?"

The haired-haired boy just shrugged, "Probably back with their parents."

_-We'll be the best in the world!-_

"So, how're the boys doing?"

Oran just shrugged, turning to Bulma and replying, "Trunks is being an arrogant prick, and Goten's clueless but excited." The group of adults was across part of three rows around halfway up the stands (so they were close enough to see properly, but far enough away to avoid any flying blasts/bodies/etc.) with enough seats saved for the five children, the kids seated in the middle row of the three.

Grinning, Yamcha supplied to anyone in ear shot, "So, business as usual huh?" He received a crack on the back of the head for his troubles, courtesy of one blue-haired mother, which sent him falling forward a few rows. Righting himself and climbing back up to his seat, he whined, "How come I got hit, but he didn't?"

Bulma gave him a level stare, "Because he's nine, and not my kid."

_-All I ever wanted was to be a real source of compassion-_

"Where's your brother?" April asked her youngest children, "I know Goku and the others are standing up the back there, and Gohan and Videl are down with the boys, but I can't sense your brother anywhere."

Lime just shrugged, "Niichan said he and neechan were gonna go 'catch up', and to flare our ki when the junior comp was almost over."

Tilting her head to one side, in a manor many present had seen on Goten's face before, Gina asked, "What do they mean by 'catch up'?" The adults shifted nervously as they tried to work out what to tell the young girl, unaware that their assumptions were incorrect.

_-From the moment that we found ourselves drowning in-_

While the Z-Fighters debated what to tell the young blonde catgirl, the couple in question were spending time together in a capsule house on a nearby island. However, despite what the others may have thought, the two were not catching up in the physical sense.

"So, you ready for the tournament?"

Pi paused in her cooking, turning to her mate with a grin, "You're kidding right?" He just grinned back. Shaking her head, she asked, "So, how far along do you think Gohan and Videl are?"

_-All I ever wanted was to be a real source of compassion-_

He snorted in amusement, "Please. Oran and Faile are further. I just hope he starts telling her what's what soon; I'm getting sick of dancing around issues."

She sighed, "You and me both." Silence reigned for a while, as Pi finished preparing their pre-fight meal. However, once she'd set the food on the table, she asked, "So... How far along is 'it'?"

Kaen sighed; this was not something he wanted to talk about. Early in their training they discovered that Nijuushin had left behind a little... surprise. Looking his mate in the eyes, he replied, "It's almost finished. In a couple of days, a week tops, it'll be finished."

_-From the moment that we found ourselves drowning in-_

Shifting a little nervously, she started, "Maybe we should-"

"No." He cut her off, "I will deal with this myself."

_-All that you want is to criticize-_

She stood up quickly, exclaiming, "But it'll kill you!"

He smiled up at her calmly, replying, "I'm too stubborn to die, you know that." He shrugged, adding, "Besides, I've already worked out a solution."

_-Something for nothing-_

She sat down in a huff, muttering, "Stubborn idiot... I still think we should get my father's help, or yours."

He stood up, calmly walking around the table, and putting his arms around her from behind, commenting lightly, "You worry too much."

Melting into his embrace, she commented, "Well, someone has to." Before she could comment further, he placed one hand under her chin, turning her head to face him, and kissed her for the first time in a fortnight; food could wait, his mate needed reassurance, and he would give it to her.

_-And all that I want is forgiveness one more time-_

"So Gohan, what took you so long? You and your girlfriend sneak off together?"

Gohan levelled a stare at the short man, debating his options; he could either rise to the bait and deny anything, or... Trying not to laugh, he forced his face into the most stoic mask possible, replying in a deadpanned voice, "Yes Krillin, Videl and I snuck off to a secluded area and made such wild, passionate love the Earth shook." As the former monk spluttered, not expecting that answer, Gohan amended, deliberately trying to avoid noticing the embarrassed look on Videl's face, "Of course we didn't. We went to wish Goten luck. Seriously, stop it; Videl and I are just friends. Just because I commented that you may like the woman that is now your wife is no reason to annoy me for the rest of my life, understand?"

_-I know that / All that we want is to feel inside-_

"So, how's Goten doing?" Goku asked, trying to steer the conversation away from the current topic.

_-Some kind of comfort-_

Gohan smiled at his father, thankful for the switch, and replied, "Well, he's nervous, but he'll do fine. I've seen the tournament listings; there's no doubt the final match'll be between him and Trunks. From there, it's anyone's guess."

Vegeta laughed, commenting, "Surely you jest. Trunks will emerge the victor."

_-And all that we've done-_

"I dunno Vegeta," Goku countered, "Goten's been training hard in preparation for this tournament."

"What would you know Kakarott?" Vegeta shot back, "You're not there to watch him. My boy will win because _I_ have trained him myself."

_-We can hide-_

"In case you forget Vegeta, Gohan's been training Goten," Goku replied calmly, "And, last I checked, he was stronger than you."

"Ha," Vegeta barked, "Cellotto has been wasting his time going to that weakling school. No doubt I'm stronger than him now, and when Trunks pounds your brat into the dirt, we will know the truth." The conversation quickly descended into a verbal dick-waving contest between the two full-blooded Saiyans.

_-We'll be the best in the world!-_

There was something familiar to Videl about the word 'Cellotto', but she couldn't place it for the life of her. Brushing off the minor deja vu (which seemed to be happening quite frequently, ever since she missed that day of school a month ago) she turned to her dark-haired crush, asking, "Are they always like that?"

_-We'll be the best in the world!-_

He smiled, "Pretty much. I must admit, it's been a little boring without dad around to rile Vegeta up." Turning his attention to the arena below, he noticed the kids filing out of the building, commenting aloud, "Hey, it's starting."

_-Just stop enough of the limitless critical comments on my life-_

Setting aside their argument for later, the two Saiyans, along with the rest of the group (Piccolo and 18 having been silent thus-far) turned to face the arena, just as the announcer declared, "Ladies and Gentlemen, let's get this day of competition started! First up, the Junior Division. Which of these thirty-six young fighters will take home the championship. There's only one way to find out. Let the tournament begin!"

_-Just drop the judgment and all of your pseudo-involvement in my life!-_

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

And so ends chapter 2. I'll be the first to admit that these early chapters might be a little boring, but this is gonna be a long epic, and we need the setup done right if it's gonna work.

I'd also like to thank the 126 people that've had a look at this story thusfar, and to welcome back the first of my regular reviewers. ss7gohan, nice to see you decided to stick around for the party -grin-.

EDIT: Some minor formatting changes.


	3. C03: Stupify

--- Disturbance, Book 1: Convergence ---

Chapter C03 - Stupify

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-Yeah, bringing you another disturbing creation-  
-from the mind of one sick animal who can't tell the difference-  
-and gets stupified-_

"This is so lame," Trunks sighed irritably, blowing his bangs out. The Junior Competition had been underway for a few minutes, and he was already bored out of his mind. Turning his attention to the dark-haired child sitting against the wall beside him, he asked, "So, whatcha buyin' with the money?"

_-I've been waiting my whole life for just one fuck-_

Turning to look up at the older boy leaning against the wall, Goten just grinned in his usual cheerful way, replying with a laugh, "Toys, I guess."

Trunks just sighed again, muttering, "You're such a toddler."

_-And all I needed was just one fuck-_

Irritated by that remark, but not letting himself show it, Goten retorted, "Well, what about you?"

He just turned away, shrugging, "I'm not sure what I'm gonna buy."

Laughing again, Goten commented, "Yeah, I guess when your family's the richest in the world, there's not much you don't already have."

_-How can you say that you don't give a fuck-_

Across the room, a tall blonde boy, who towered over most of the other kids, walked through the warm-up area like he owned the place, commenting, "Look 'et all these kids. One hit from me an' they'll start cryin'." Pausing, he noticed the lavender-haired child at the end of the room - his first opponent - and grinned what he felt was a callous grin.

One of the two toadies he had with him asked, "Who are you fighting first Idassa?"

Laughing he turned around, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb as he replied, "Oh man, just look, it's that kid over there."

Looking around him, the boy commented, "Whoa, he's, like, puny."

The second toady chuckled, adding, "I say we give him a scare."

Turning his head again, Idassa replied, "We will."

_-I find myself stupified, coming back again-_

Stepping away from the wall, Trunks turned to his friend, commenting, "Maybe I'll just buy you a better haircut."

"Hair what?" Goten asked, confused. Thanks to his Saiyan heritage, he, unlike Trunks, had never really had to have his hair cut much; his hair as it was now was pretty much how he'd been born.

_-All I wanted was just one fuck-_

Before Trunks could reply, an obnoxious voice drew his attention, calling, "Hey half-pint. You're gonna be my first victim. I hope you're wearing your diapers. You're gonna need the extra padding." The older kid then proceeded to throw a punch at his head; Trunks just stood there, one eyebrow raised as if to ask 'You're kidding, right?' When Trunks didn't so much as bat an eye, the kid withdrew his fist, asking, "Don't you flinch?"

_-One tiny little innocent fuck-_

Trunks just grinned slightly, turning to the boy and replying, "Not from... weaklings." Vaguely, he noticed Goten climbing to his feet beside him.

"What!" the boy shouted.

_-And when I feel like I'm shit out of luck-_

Still grinning, Trunks commented, "You had best walk away."

Ignoring his two toadies cries of outrage, Idassa laughed, "You just sealed your fate shortie. I'm gonna beat you so hard you're gonna have a concussion."

_-I find myself stupified, coming back again-_

"That's a big word," Trunks commented derisively, "Do you want some ice before your brain overheats?"

As the older boy shouted more empty threats before walking away, Goten just tilted his head to one side, confused by the whole thing, and muttering, "Gee..."

_-Why, do you like playing around with-_

Watching the fights below, Oran was bored out of his skull. Turning to his mother in the row behind him, he whined, "Mom, do we _have_ to watch this? I'm bored."

"Me too," Lime added, also turning around, "Can we go play somewhere else?"

_-My, narrow scope of reality-_

Smiling mirthfully, April asked, "Don't you want to show Goten and Trunks your support?"

Oran just snorted, "Please. We all know that Goten and Trunks are gonna reach the finals, but until then, this is just a waste of our time."

_-I, can feel it all start slipping-_

Turning sterner, April replied, "Be that as it may, I can't just let you wander around on your own."

Before the twins could plead their case, Kat piped up, "I'll go with 'em, keep 'em out of trouble for you."

April smiled, "Well, in that case, sure, but you two better behave."

_-I think I'm breaking down-_

Grinning, the twins cried, "Thanks mum!" With that, they jumped out of their seats, hopping from foot to foot impatiently as Kat followed them out.

Before they could leave, Avarrdo commented, "On your way back, could you pick up a few things?"

"Sure Pops," the redhead replied, with a shrug and a grin, "What can I get ya?" With that, everyone began rattling off their orders, after which Avarrdo handed her a wad of bills. As the trio began walking off, Kat just commented dryly, "I 'spose it's a good thing I've got you guys here after all. I'm gonna need a hand carrying everything."

_-Why, do you like playing around with-_

Kaen smiled, pausing in his gorging to comment, "Looks like the Junior Comp has started."

"Oh?" Pi asked, "How can you tell?"

_-My, narrow scope of reality-_

"Because the twins are getting antsy," he replied with a half-shrug, before finishing off his meal. With a satisfied burp, he commented, "Maybe it's the fact I haven't had it for a while, but your cooking seems to have gotten even better, and I wouldn't have figured that possible."

_-I, can feel it all start slipping away-_

"Why?" Pi asked, half-serious half-joking, "Are you saying I can't improve?"

Kaen just shrugged again, replying in an off-hand tone, "How do you improve on perfection?"

_-See but I don't get it-_

Blushing slightly at the praise, she changed the subject, asking, "So, what did our father's want to talk to you about earlier?"

_-Don't you think maybe we could put it on credit-_

He grunted sourly, commenting, "Well, my dad was just pissed that I took his shield generator without asking, although he did grudgingly admit he was impressed with the quick patch-job I did to get it working. Your dad, however, proceeded to bitch at me about this." He pointed to the angry scar running across his right eye.

_-Don't you think it can take control when I don't let it-_

"What did he have to say about it?" She prompted.

Kaen scowled at the memory, "Basically, he was just really unimpressed that I'd actually gotten hurt in what was obviously a sword fight, as he's the one who taught me how to use it properly. What really got me though was when he said

'If you can't learn well enough to protect yourself, how can I trust you to protect my daughter?'"

"Oh Kaen," she started, "He doesn't-"

_-I get stupified-  
-It's all the same you say, live with it, but I don't get it-_

"He's right you know," Kaen interrupted, "As has been proven many times, I _can't_ always protect you." Before she could argue - and she'd already opened her mouth to start - he quickly kissed her, silencing her protests, before adding, "I guess it's a good thing you're more than capable of looking after yourself when I'm not around then isn't it?"

_-Don't you think maybe we could put it on credit-_

Smiling, she commented, "You know he was just saying that to piss you off?"

He nodded, "I know."

_-Don't you think it can take control when I don't let it-_

Standing up, she asked, "Is this why you don't want to go to them for help with this problem of yours?"

_-I get stupified-_

He sighed, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his head on her shoulder, before replying, "I'd be lying if I said that wasn't _a_ reason, but it's not _the_ reason. I guess I just need to prove this to myself, that I _can_ take care of problems on my own. I mean, so many things have happened to me that I keep wishing I'd handled better, and some times I feel like I haven't gotten any better, and-"

_-I get stupified-_

She cut him off with a kiss, before commenting, "You talk too much when you're nervous." Kissing him again, she added, "I trust you, and I'm willing to let you do this your way, but don't expect me to stay out of it if I feel you'd be better off with a little help, understand?"

He smiled, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

_-All the people in the left wing rock-_

"Henry is out of the ring; Krishnikov advances!" The announcer called out, announcing the end of another match in the Junior Comp. Looking down at his clipboard, he declared, "Let's bring out the next pair: eight-year-old Trunks versus fifteen-year-old Idassa."

"Yeah," Goku commented, "He's finally up."

"Trunks, do your best!" Krillin called out, before realising something, "Oh, wait, Trunks' best might actually hurt someone..." With that in mind, he called out, "Do okay!"

_-And all the people in the right wing rock-_

"Try not to cripple the kid!" Gohan added, a grin on his face.

"How strong are they anyway Gohan?" Videl asked; she knew that, if Gohan said Trunks could cripple his opponent, he could, so didn't question that part.

Gohan just smiled cryptically, replying, "Strong enough."

_-And all the people in the underground rock-_

"Are you ready to cry short-stack?" Idassa taunted, as the pair walked up into the ring.

"Please," Trunks replied sourly, "Don't talk."

_-I find myself stupified, coming back again-_

"Ha, you sure you don't wanna beg?"

Trunks just tuned him out, just like he tuned out the comments from the crowds about how one-sided the match was stacked against him.

_-All the people in the high rise rock-_

"Idassa, I'm here!" A fairly rotund orange-haired woman shouted, standing up to wave to what was obviously her son, and not noticing how her frantic arm movements smacked Yamcha in the head. Sitting down again, and tuning the former martial artists protests out, she commented, "I wish they would match Idassa with a bigger kid. This won't even warm my boy up."

_-And all the people in the projects rock-_

Bulma just scowled in the woman's direction, before standing up and shouting, "Get him Trunks! You make that boy sorry he ever met you!"

_-And all la gente in the barrio rock-_

As the blue-haired woman sat down, the other kid's mother scowled at her, muttering, "Hon, you're dreaming." Bulma, ever the bastion of maturity, stuck her tongue out at her.

_-I find myself stupified, coming back again-_

"Let's go!" The announcer shouted.

Falling into his fighting stance, Idassa growled, "Come on you little short cake, fight!"

_-Why, do you like playing around with-_

Still just standing there, Trunks replied, "Don't you worry, you'll feel it soon enough big mouth." Before the boy could reply, Trunks dropped to the ground, sweeping his leg around to kick the other boy's legs out from under him, before, sending him skyward bound with a quick soccer-kick to the back, much to the shock of the crowd, Idassa's mother especially. As Trunks began walking off, the shrieking boy plummeted back down to the ring, landing headfirst. Calmly exiting the ring at the same pace he'd entered, Trunks commented, "Oops. Guess I shouldn't have hit him so hard, but... at least he's quiet."

_-My, narrow scope of reality-_

Walking over to check on the older boy, the announcer declared, "This boy is out cold. Trunks advances." This shocked most of the crowd, except a certain group of people, a certain blue-haired one of which was smiling tauntingly at the fallen boy's mother.

_-I, can feel it all start slipping-_

Awaiting his friend's arrival at the building, Goten said, "You sure did beat that boy fast Trunks."

"You see now why I wanted to fight in the adult division?" Trunks asked, folding his arms. Goten just nodded.

_-I think I'm breaking down-  
-Why, do you like playing around with-_

Several more fights carried on like they did before - that is, boring - but finally it was Goten's turn. Trying to keep the crowd interested, the announcer cried, "Here we go. We've got Ikosa, an expert fourteen-year-old, against Goten, a seven-year-old boy. Come on folks, let's hear it for these young warriors." Standing there, witnessing the full size of the crowd for the first time, Goten felt quite nervous, but, remembering his training, forced himself to remain calm as he and his opponent walked towards the ring, to the announcement of, "Here they come. Oh my gosh, it looks like David verses Goliath; Ikosa has a full head over young Goten."

_-My, narrow scope of reality-_

Turning to his opponent, Ikosa grinned, muttering, "You look nervous." Goten just rubbed the back of his head in typical Son fashion.

_-I, can feel it all start slipping away-_

"Alright Goten! Woohoo, yeah!" Goku shouted cheerfully.

"Wow, he looks like a miniature you Goku," Krillin commented.

"He does doesn't he?" Goku replied, a smile on his face.

Grinning, Gohan called out, "Don't hurt him too bad Goten!"

_-See but I don't get it-_

"Small fry!" The large woman shouted, "Tear him up Ikosa! Remember what happened to your brother! Show no mercy!"

Cupping her hands, Chichi cried, "Goten! Relax, you'll do fine!"

_-Don't you think maybe we could put it on credit-_

Scowling at her, the fat harpy of a woman shouted, "That vulgar little preschool tiny tot doesn't stand a chance against my big strong Ikosa. Woo, let him have it son!"

_-Don't you think it can take control when I don't let it-_

Grinning, Bulma commented, "Hey, wasn't that your other big strong son that my little boy knocked out cold earlier with one little kick?"

_-I get stupified-_

Shoving Yamcha aside to come face-to-face with her, the harpy cried, "So? That little pipsqueak punk was your son? Well he got lucky! One miracle's enough for one day!"

_-It's all the same you say, live with it, but I don't get it-_

Looking around the arena, Goten commented dazedly, "I can't believe that all of these people are here."

_-Don't you think maybe we could put it on credit-_

"It's enough to make you wanna run home cryin' isn't it kid?" Ikosa taunted. "Look, I don't wanna embarrass you in front of all of these people. For your sake, I'm gonna end this quick. Understand?"

Goten just scratched his head, muttering, "Uh huh."

_-Don't you think it can take control when I don't let it-_

"All right fighters are you ready?" The announcer called. Ikosa pounded his fists together, while Goten just bowed politely. "Let the match begin!"

_-I get stupified-_

"Come on Goten! You can do it son!" Chichi shouted supportively.

Growling, the harpy shouted, "Ikosa! Beat the who-ha outta that little runt!"

_-I get stupified-_

Sitting backstage, Trunks just fumed to himself at being forced to be in the Junior Division, while vaguely aware of the other kids warming up around him. Noticing him sitting there, one of the other kids asked, "Hey, what's the matter? That's your friend out there fighting isn't it? Don't you wanna see his match? Well don't you?"

Still scowling slightly, Trunks replied, "Already know the result."

Looking up, the boy shouted, "Hey, he says his friend's gonna win. Let's go see!" All the boys in the room quickly raced to the entrance to watch the fight, commenting how unlikely it was that Goten would win; well, all bar Trunks, who continued to brood to himself.

_-Mefached-_

Dancing from foot to foot, Ikosa taunted, "What's the matter kid? Scared? Come on, it ain't gonna hurt that bad. Let's do it." Goten just stood there, watching the older boy throwing punches at the air, with a slightly confused look on his face.

_-Mefached- (English translation: "Scared" or "Afraid")_

Watching the boy pant from over-exertion, Goten asked, "Are you okay?"

"Me?" Ikosa replied, "Yeah right kid, gimme a break. Am I okay? Man you're asking for it!" Growling, he threw a punch at Goten's face, but the younger boy merely raised a hand, stopping the blow with a single finger on his weak hand. Panicking slightly, Ikosa withdrew his feet, before lashing out with a kick, which Goten stopped with just his left arm.

_-And don't deny me-_

Pushing the leg away, Goten muttered, "Hey, stop foolin' around. Come on, let's be serious."

Dancing from foot to foot again, while trying to hide his worry, Ikosa replied, "Touché. So, you know a little martial arts after all. Not bad for a pint-size kid."

_-No baby now, don't deny me-_

"Oh ho ho ho ho, look. He's too scared to throw a punch at my Ikosa!" The harpy declared shrilly.

Still grinning, Bulma commented, "I'll give him five minutes at the most, and that's only if he's extremely lucky."

Growling, the harpy shouted, "Knock him out. Ikosa, floor him. I want you to knock that kid's block off, do you hear me!"

_-And darlin' don't be afraid...-_

Ikosa threw punch after punch at Goten, as well as the occasional kick, but Goten calmly blocked every blow with the palms of his hands; his legs hadn't even moved since the match started. "Gosh, this is it?" Goten commented to himself, "This isn't very fun..." With that, he delivered a quick jab to Ikosa's chin, which caused an immediate stop to the incoming attacks, as the older boy stood there stunned. After wobbling for a while, he fell backwards, and didn't get up again. Goten just bowed at his fallen opponent.

_-But I don't get it-_

As the crowd shouted praise to Goten, the announcer went to check up on Ikosa. Shaking the boy, the announcer mused, "Whoa, what a punch. He's out. Out cold. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner over here! Let's here it for Go-ten!"

_-Don't you think maybe we could put it on credit-_

As the crowd roared their approval, Bulma proceeded to, once again, stick her tongue out at the other kid's mother, who sat there frozen in shock, before growling, "I'm going to kill you!" With that, she charged towards Bulma. She was thrown back quickly as, with a single punch from Chichi, over the head of a quickly ducked Bulma, she collapsed to the ground.

_-Don't you think it can take control when I don't let it-_

Standing up to brush off her hands, Chichi commented, "Come on. Who do you think taught him?"

The rest of the group grinned, Raene commenting, "Nice punch. I give it a five-point-seven."

"I'd say five-point-eight myself," April replied. Chichi just turned to face them, took a bow, and calmly sat down like nothing had happened.

_-I get stupified-_

"Hey, dude, your friend knocked out that big guy Ikosa with one punch!" One of the other fighters shouted, running back to tell Trunks the results.

Trunks, however, was not impressed, replying, "Yeah yeah, I know. I told you I knew the result."

The other boy just blinked, "Yeah, right..."

_-Look in my face, stare in my soul, I begin to stupify. Ah!-_

The rest of the matches proceeded in much the same fashion: first a bunch of boring fights as two kids duked it out, then either Trunks or Goten would come out, win without any effort, advance, and the boring fights resumed. Finally, however, it was down to the finals, and, as expected, it was Goten verses Trunks.

_-Look in my face, stare in my soul, I begin to stupify. Ah!-_

Spinning his microphone, the announcer cried, "And now the moment you've all been waiting for! The Junior Competition Championship, between eight-year-old Trunks, and seven-year-old Goten. Which one of these fabulous young fighters will be the next World Champion?"

_-Look in my face, stare in my soul, I begin to stupify. Ah!-_

As the two walked in side-by-side, Trunks turned his head, grinned, and commented, "I think being the World Champion is gonna be fun."

Grinning in kind, Goten replied, "I'll definitely let you know how it is."

_-Look in my face, stare in my soul, I begin to stupify. Ah!-_

High up in the stands, the Z-Fighters were finally going to see the match they'd been waiting for. Grinning at his sister, Oran commented, "This should be good."

_-Look in my face, stare in my soul-_

She grinned back, "Yeah. You do know Trunks is going to win don't you?"

He rolled his eyes, "Of course you'd say that. Me, I reckon Goten'll take it home."

_-Look in my face, stare in my soul-_

She stomped her foot, "You're just saying that to annoy me!"

He grinned again, "Yeah, and?"

_-Look in my face, stare in my soul-_

"Shouldn't you two be informing your brother to come back now?" Avarrdo interrupted, lest the two continue on like this for any longer.

The twins just nodded, replying, "Right," before flaring their ki like their brother had told them.

_-Look in my face, stare in my soul-_

Kaen sighed, absently stroking Pi's hair, as he felt the signal, "Well, looks like our time is up."

Pi sighed in turn, her head lying against Kaen's chest, as the pair lay together on the capsule house's couch. "Damn, and I was so comfortable too..."

_-Look in my face!-_

"You and me both," Kaen replied, "But there'll be plenty of time once the tournament's over."

Standing up, Pi asked, "Tell me again why you decided to enter the competition?"

_-Look in my face!-_

"To show off," was his simple reply, as he too got to his feet.

She smiled for a moment, before turning serious, "Kaen, I just... Be careful, all right. I've got a bad feeling about today..."

_-Look in my face!-_

"You too huh?" Kaen replied, stunning her for a moment, before he wrapped his arms around her again, soothing her by saying, "Don't worry. Together, we can handle anything this universe can throw at us." She smiled, and together, the two walked out of their home away from home, capsulating it again, and heading off to the tournament, unaware they'd soon regret those words.

_-I begin to stupify! Ah!-_

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

Heh, looks like I've just earned the M rating for this fic with this song alone.

As I'm sure you've noticed, I decided to centre the song lyrics, to help improve readability in the story. By the time I will have posted this, I will also have gone back and editted the previous two chapters.


	4. C04: Shout 2000

--- Disturbance, Book 1: Convergence ---

Chapter C04 - Shout 2000

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-Shout, shout / Let it all out-_

Standing between the two young warriors, the announcer raised his hand to the crowd, crying out, "We've seen each of these fighters valiantly advance to the finals, but now, only one of them can be World Champion. Which of them will it be? Trunks, or Goten?"

High up in the stands, the Z-Fighters cheered for who they wanted to win; well, Chichi, Bulma, and the kids did, while the rest chose to either stay silent, or impartial.

Further up in the stands, Krillin commented, "Finally, we get to see a good match. This is gonna be awesome!"

_-These are the things I can do without, come on-_

"Definitely!" Goku added excitedly. Vegeta just stood back, not wanting to appear eager to watch the fight, but not going to miss it for the world.

Back down in the ring, Trunks and Goten took a few steps forward, before turning to face each other, as the announcer continued, "Outside of the ring of competition, these little guys are friends. They usually fight in the woods together, but now they've moved to a different place: the World Tournament stage! Wow! That's amazing!"

_-I'm talking to you so come on-_

"We miss anything?" A voice called out, getting closer to he group. Turning around, Videl and Gohan noticed Kaen and Pi approaching.

Smiling, Gohan replied, "Nah, not really. Just Goten and Trunks working their way up. You're just in time for the final match."

_-Shout, shout / Let it all out-_

Smiling back, Pi leaned back against her mate, who, in turn, reached around her to grab the railing. "This should prove interesting," the Saiyan woman mused to herself.

Grinning, Krillin called out, "You two have fun 'catching up'?" He waggled what passed for eyebrows, just to make sure the innuendo got across.

_-These are the things I can do without, come on / (Come get it on, come get it on)-_

Kaen just rolled his eyes, replying, "We ate and we talked. Any further 'catching up' can wait until after the tournament. We'll need the energy if we're gonna make it to the finals."

"And what makes you so sure _you_ will make the finals?" Vegeta asked derisively. Kaen and Pi just smirked to themselves, and remained silent, turning their attention to the ring below.

_-I'm talking to you so come on / (Come get it on, come get it on)-_

"Sir, excuse me?" one of the Tournament monks said, verbally prodding the snoring fighter before him. "Mr. Satan? Excuse me please, Mr. Satan? Sir?" Finally, the afro'd fighter stirred from his slumber, so the monk continued, "Sorry, I didn't know that you were sleeping."

_-In violent times...-_

Wiping the drool that had accumulated on the side of his mouth, Hercule replied, "Oh, I wasn't sleeping. Fooled ya huh? I was, uh, actually in a deep meditation. Even though I showed the outward _signs_ of sleeping I could still sense you coming down the hall and entering my room, whaddya think of that?" Not giving the man a chance to reply, he began laughing, his annoying horselaugh echoing around the room.

_-You shouldn't have to sell your soul-_

Blinking a bit, a sweat drop running down the back of his head, the monk thought to himself, 'Does he _really_ expect me to believe that?' With an inward shrug, he decided to pander to the man's ego, commenting sarcastically, "Sure, that works for me. With your _keen_ perception you probably already know why I'm here, but just to let you know, the junior finals are just about to start. A seven and an eight-year-old boy made it into the final. Sir, they're fighting rather impressively, I thought you might want to take a look."

Closing his eyes, Hercule mused to himself, "Hm, watch a couple o' kids pound the heck outta each other..." Standing up, he continued, "Sure, that sounds fun. Besides, I'm 'sposed to have an exhibition match against the winner of this thing."

_-In black and white...-_

Wanting to be nowhere near either of the boys once the action started, the announcer leapt off the tiled ring, landing on the grass outside, before saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, it is our great pleasure to present, the final match in the Junior World Martial Arts Championship!"

_-They really really ought to know / (just don't know)-_

Goten and Trunks bowed politely to each other, before, for the first time in the competition, they each fell into their respective fighting stance. Grinning, Trunks commented, "Just to let you know, I _am_ going to win. Understood?"

Goten just grinned back, "Yeah. I'm going for the win too."

_-Those one-trick minds...-_

From the entrance to the fighters' waiting room, Hercule commented to himself, "Those two little tykes made it to the championship? These tournaments just aren't as competitive as they used to be." Screwing up his face in concentration, he focused on Goten, musing, "I think I recognize that little guy. Yes, I'm not exactly sure where but I've seen that kid before, and I never forget a face." Like a lightning bolt, inspiration struck him quickly, setting him into near-panic mode, but it was gone just as fast, as he added, "Uh, no, um, I'm thinking of someone else."

_-Who took you for a working whore-_

As the two young fighters stared each other down, the crowd continued cheering for who they wanted to win, several voices louder than others. From high up in the stands, Goku called out, "Relax and have fun guys, you're both looking great down there!"

"So, who do you reckon'll win?" Kaen asked his mate quietly.

"Dunno," she replied, "Could go either way. Trunks has Vegeta's tenacity, and Goten has Goku's stamina." Grinning, she finished, "Should be fun to watch though."

_-Kiss them goodbye...-_

With the sound of a bell only they could hear, Goten and Trunks sped forward, locking forearms with a thunderous crash. Gritting their teeth, they each tried to force the other back, but in the end, it was Goten who was forced to yield, being driven further and further back as Trunks pushed forward, throwing blow after blow. With a sudden impact they both cannonballed backwards, touching ground for but a second before leaping high into the air, trading blows at speeds most human fighters could only dream of.

_-You shouldn't have to jump for joy / (jump jump jump jump jump)-_

The crowd watched in stunned silence as the two fighters battled it out in the sky, spitting in the face of the basic laws of physics. Some, however, were a lot less surprised. "Yeah, great!" Krillin exclaimed excitedly, a massive smile on his face.

"Wow, they're really going at it," Gohan commented casually. Watching first Trunks, then Goten, land a heavy blow against the other's face, Videl's blue eyes widened in shock.

"Man, look at 'em go!" Goku cried out.

_-You shouldn't have to (shout) for joy (shout) / Let it all out-_

Goten lashed out at Trunks, only to have his fist go through an after image. The older boy appeared behind him with an elbow drop, only for the same thing to happen. Phasing in to his right, Goten threw a kick at Trunks' head, but the lavender-haired child ducked, throwing a retaliatory uppercut, which Goten phased out of the way of, before reappearing far enough away to charge forward again, and the trading of blows resumed.

_-These are the things I can do without, come on / (Come get it on, come get it on)-_

"Fantastic you guys!" Gohan cried out encouragingly, "Keep it up!"

_-I'm talking to you so come on / (Come get it on, come get it on)-_

With a white shockwave, the two landed on the tiled ring again, dashing towards each other. At the last second, Trunks dashed to the side, leaving an after image for Goten to fly through. Stunned, and off balance after punching through thin air, Goten skipped along the ground for a few metres, before quickly jumping backwards as Trunks came down from above with a punch. The younger boy was unprepared, however, when Trunks reappeared behind him and kicked him squarely in the back, sending him flying uncontrollably towards the edge of the ring.

_-They gave you life...-_

Standing up in her seat, Chichi shouted, "Goten, stop!"

_-And in return you gave them hell-_

Spinning in mid-air, Goten flung his arms and legs out, stopping on a dime over the grass. Calmly floating back to the tile, he touched down for a second before leaping at Trunks again, who still stood with his leg raised from the kick, and attacking with the strongest weapon known to man: the Son Headbutt. Staggering back from the impact to the forehead, Trunks quickly raised his arm to block, as Goten went on the offensive.

Leaping up into the air, and away from Goten, Trunks was surprised when the young boy flew behind him with a burst of speed, grabbing him around the arms from underneath. Tensing his shoulders, Trunks forced his arms down, before spinning around and elbowing his dark-haired opponent in the face, then phasing in above his flight and drop-kicking his back. As Goten plummeted towards the ring, Trunks gracefully dived after him, spinning to gain momentum.

_-As cold as ice / (now that you're ice, ice baby)-_

Rolling quickly to recover, Goten touched ground for a split second before dashing away, moments before Trunks landed where he'd been. Landing on the other side of the ring, Goten quickly reversed his momentum, leaping at Trunks, and the pair simultaneously connected with a blow to each other's cheek, the force of which sent a minor shockwave through the arena.

_-I hope we live to tell the tale-_

Both reeling from the blow a moment, they quickly recovered, lashing out with punches and kicks again, neither child having the advantage. Kicking up a growing cloud of dust, they started rising in the air, each subconsciously seeking the advantage of higher ground, and the aerial dance resumed, to the stunned silence of the crowd. Eventually, the two got so high that the crowd couldn't see them clearly, the pair being blocked out by the bright light of the sun, but a close look revealed the two boys glowing before, with a twin shout and simultaneous punch, a yellow explosion filled the sky, sending the two apart, falling back down to terra firma.

Falling into stance, the two glared each other down, before a smile slowly spread across both their faces; they both were enjoying this fight immensely.

_-I hope we live to (shout) the tale (shout) / Let it all out-_

Standing in the entry way of the fighter's waiting room, his eyes bulging out of his head, Hercule cried disbelievingly, "This... isn't happening. Who are they!"

_-These are the things I can do without, come on / (Come get it on, come get it on)-_

Gripping the railing tightly, Videl commented, "My gosh, Goten and Trunks are more powerful than most of the adult fighters here."

Smiling good-naturedly, Goku declared, "Those two are really tearing it up! They'll be stronger than us soon if we don't watch it!"

"I know," Gohan agreed.

_-I'm talking to you so come on-_

"Hey, speak for yourself," Kaen added, a grin on his face, "I have no plans for being outclassed by a couple of kids any time soon thank you very much."

"Alright, looking good Trunks!" Krillin shouted, "You too Goten!"

Suddenly, the people in the crowd recovered their voices again, shouting and yelling and carrying on, about how awesome the fight was.

_-Will you never shout/ HUH!-_

"Yes. Yes! Ladies and gentlemen, have you ever seen anything like it?" the announcer shouted into his microphone, "The World Martial Arts Championship continues! Who will be the next Junior Champion? Will it be eight-year-old Trunks? Or will it be seven-year-old Goten? It seems like it could go either way at this point! What a match!" 'I can't believe it,' the announcer thought to himself excitedly, 'this is the match I've been waiting for all of these years. Just when I was starting to give up hope, it came. This is too good to be true, and this is only the Junior Division!'

_-I feel as though I know you're never gonna let it all out-_

"Check those two out!" Krillin exclaimed, "Staring each other down in classic stance. I love it!"

"They're really doing well, that's for sure," Goku commented.

"Awesome. Way better than I expected," Krillin added. "This match could get really interesting."

_-Will you never shout/ HUH!-_

"Pretty impressive," Trunks commented, "Somehow you've managed to get a lot stronger than the last time we fought."

Goten grinned, "I owe it all to Gohan. He's the one that's been training me."

"Well he did good," Trunks added, "But not good enough. Try this!" Reaching his arms back, he gathered ki in either hand, before throwing them forward and firing. Gritting his teeth, Goten knew he had two options: block, or dodge. He chose the former, raising his hands up and catching the blast, before throwing it skyward.

_-I feel as though I know you're never gonna let it all out-_

Hiding behind the screen, Hercule commented fearfully, "I've seen this before. A-At the Cell Games..."

_-Will you never shout/ HUH!-_

"Nice huh?" Trunks asked, clearly proud of himself, "What did ya think?"

"That was really cool," Goten replied, "Gohan taught me a little bit of that stuff too. Watch, check this out." Reaching his hands back, he chanted, "Ka Me Ka Me..." A small blue ball of light appeared between his hands, before he shouted, "Ha!" A thin blue beam raced towards Trunks, but rather than blocking it, he casually tilted his head to one side, and the blast raced past, narrowly missing the roof of the building behind.

Turning to watch the beam go, Trunks commented, "Hey, not bad."

_-I feel as though I know you're never gonna let it all out-_

The crowd watched in shock at this display, and, within seconds, the speculation began. Eyes bugging out of his head, Hercule stuttered, "It... It... can't be... They've got the same powers as those guys who fought Cell."

_-Will you never shout/ HUH!-_

Rubbing the back of his head, Goten commented sheepishly, "Whoops, that was close."

"It sure was," Trunks replied, "We better cool it. No more energy beams. We don't wanna blow the whole place up." When Goten just grinned wider, he added good-naturedly, "Look at you. You're loving it aren't you?" Goten just grinned and nodded. Jumping back into his stance, he finished, "Let's do it."

"Yeah," Goten replied, dropping into his own stance, and the stare down resumed.

_-I feel as though I know you're never gonna let it-_

"Mom, I wanna go watch the final," Ikosa pleaded.

"Me too mom," Idassa added, "Can we?"

"What?" She exclaimed, watching her boys doing squats, "Absolutely not! Keep working! You two should be ashamed of yourself, losing to those little runts." Crying, she added, "Boy, my boys, how could you? I've never been so embarrassed in my life. This can never happen again"

_-And when you've taken down your guard...-_

"But dear, please, those boys, they were special. They beat all the other kids as well," her husband pleaded.

"Oh phooey, I'm not buying that rubbish. Fool," she replied. "I'm raising champions. I'll make champions out of you two yet. Stop giving them the excuses they need to be weaklings!"

_-Yeah, if I could change your mind...-_

"But mom," Ikosa, the smarter of the two, tried, "Every champion always watches the previous champion fight, so he can see how to beat him next time."

"Yeah," his older brother continued, "If we watch the final, we'll see how to fight better."

_-I'd really love to break your heart / (break break break break break)-_

She mulled this over for a few seconds, before relenting, "Alright, you can go. But you're gonna work twice as hard tomorrow!"

They raced off quickly before she changed her mind, yelling a "Thanks mom" over their shoulders; as they heard the announcer declare, this was the most exciting Junior Championship of all time, and they weren't going to miss it.

_-I'd really love to (shout) your heart (shout) / Let it all out-_

"Here we go," Trunks said, "It's been fun but I'm afraid I'm gonna have to finish it." Jumping slightly into the air, he took off running the second his feet touched the ground, adding, "I'm gonna win this thing Goten!"

Sprinting towards his friend-slash-rival, Goten retorted, "Oh yeah? We'll see about that!"

With a thunderous crash, the two locked arms again, trying to force the other back. Realising that he was going to lose this struggle, Goten suddenly stopped pushing, spinning around to kick Trunks in the head while the lavender-haired child was still off balance. However, the older boy expected this manoeuvre, ducking under the leg and drawing his hand back, charging ki, before flinging a blast at the younger boy at point blank range.

_-These are the things I can do without, come on / (Come get it on, come get it on)-_

With a cry of "No fair!" Goten faded out, racing into the air above the ring. Glaring down at his friend, Goten barked, "Trunks you cheater! You said no more energy beams! That's not fair!"

Looking up at his friend mock-apologetically, Trunks replied, "Sorry Goten!" Lowering his voice, he muttered, "Sorry it didn't hit you that is..." Charging up another beam, he shouted, "Dodge this!"

Goten phased out again, but when he reappeared, he couldn't see Trunks anywhere. Looking around, he muttered to himself, "Where'd he go?" Trunks' location quickly became apparent when he phased in behind him, grabbing him under the arms and yanking his arms back.

_-I'm talking to you so come on / (Come get it on, come get it on)-_

"Ready to give up yet Goten?" Trunks asked, pulling his friend's arms back further, "I don't want to have to hurt you." When Goten shook his head stubbornly, Trunks commented, "Fine then, you leave me no choice." With a burst of ki, Trunks sent the pair of them hurtling towards the ground, with Goten on the bottom, clearly intending on dive-bombing Goten into the arena.

Determined not to give up, Goten focused inwards, bringing his trump card to the surface. With a burst of light, he jumped into Super Saiyan, easily breaking Trunks' hold, and spiralled away, touching ground safely on the arena out of the way of Trunks' flight plan.

_-I'd really love to-_

"What! Goten's already a Super Saiyan?" Goku exclaimed.

"Unbelievable..." Krillin breathed.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Gohan commented pridefully.

His fist shaking with barely repressed anger, Vegeta shouted, "Kakarott, that's not fair."

In a rare moment of sarcasm, Goku replied, "Don't look at me; he did it."

_-Shout, shout / Let it all out-_

Trunks glared over at Goten, the younger boy's golden hair still waving in the breeze. Clenching his fists, he growled out, "What's the big idea Goten? We agreed not to turn into Super Saiyans!"

"We also agreed not to use energy beams, but you've broken that twice," Goten replied, glaring back. "If you're gonna cheat, I'm not gonna hold back anymore."

"Two can play at that game," Trunks commented, his hair extending up into a crown-like form, the usual lavender colour switching to the gold of the Super Saiyan. "Let's finish this," he added, before charging towards the younger boy, and the two began trading blows at a much faster, and stronger, pace.

_-These are the things I can do without, come on-_

"Trunks too?" Goku muttered, "What's up with this generation?"

"No kidding," Krillin added, his tone indicating he'd reached his limit for surprise. For now, at least.

"I just can't believe how strong Goten and Trunks are for their age. They must be eating all their vegetables," Goku commented, half-jokingly.

Grinning slightly, Krillin replied, "Yeah, that's for sure."

_-I'm talking to you so come on / (Shout, shout, shout, shout)-_

Looking across at Kaen, Vegeta noticed the younger Saiyan calmly watching the events below as if he's expected it all along. "You don't look too surprised," he commented dryly, walking over to the younger man.

Kaen just shrugged, "Why should I be? I've known Trunks was a Super Saiyan for about a month and a half."

"That a fact?" The prince remarked, in that same dry tone, "And you didn't inform us, why?"

Kaen shrugged again, "Because I'm an asshole, mostly."

"And all that talk about 'not being outclassed by a couple of kids'?" He prodded; he'd always had suspicions Kaen had been holding back, and, while he'd never fought Pi, he suspected she did too. Rather than replying, however, the Saiyan couple merely grinned, and turned their attention back to the fight.

_-Shout!-_

"This is absolutely crazy..." Videl muttered dazedly, her eyes almost hanging out of her head in shock. Composing herself, she turned to glare at Gohan, barking, "Now I get it you lousy bum! You've been giving Goten special training sessions and leaving me out!"

Gohan shook his head quickly, replying, "Huh? No, it wasn't special. Just the normal routine." That much was true; the training sessions _had_ been how he normally trained Goten, even if they _were_ a bit out of Videl's league.

"Yeah right," she muttered sceptically, turning away from him, "Ha, no way. This is anything but normal."

_-Shout!-_

"Don't worry Videl," Kaen's voice broke in, "I'm sure Gohan can't wait to show you some of his best stuff."

"Oh yeah," Krillin's voice added, "Some 'special' training wouldn't go amiss at all."

"Yeah," a third voice joined in, one she didn't recognize, "A little one-on-one time will be good for that extra mile. If you know what I mean."

_-Come on let me shout shout let me-_

Turning to face the newcomer, she heard Pi ask, "Uncle Truniz, why are you here?"

The older man grinned, replying in a semi-booming voice, "Wherever there is teasing to be done, Truniz is there!"

One of Kaen's eyebrows rose. "You're serious?"

His grin widened, "Nah, I just felt left out, and the rest of them are being boring." Without a word, the group turned back to watch the conclusion of the fight.

_-Come on let me shout shout / (Shout!)-_

With a loud crash and a flare of light, the two combatants broke apart, landing on opposite sides of the arena. Shaking his head, Trunks commented aloud, "This is stupid. We're gonna be here all day at this rate."

"Well, what do you suggest?" Goten replied.

Trunks grinned. "One final blow. We each try to knock the other out with one final punch. You game?"

_-Come on let me shout shout let me-_

Goten grinned back, falling into his stance and drawing his right hand back, replying, "Anything you can do-"

"-I can do better," Trunks finished with a smirk, falling into his own stance. The pair took a moment to prepare themselves, before, with some silent signal, they leapt as one, speeding towards each other, two comets of gold. The crowd was on the edge of their seats watching; somehow, they knew it all came down to this. With a combined shout from the boys, the comets collided, and a flare of golden light went up, temporarily blinding all present, before there was a fairly loud crash.

The fight was over.

_-Come on let me shout shout / (Shout!)-_

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

Fact: Goten does _not_ say 'Kamehameha'. He says 'Kamekameha'. Or, at least, he does in the original version.

Now, for fun, I want to try something. I know that polls are frowned upon here at so I'm not going to do that, but I _would_ like to hear people's opinions on who _they_ think would/should win, from the following list:  
a) Trunks wins  
b) Goten wins  
c) Neither wins; they tie.  
Now, no matter how many people give an opinion, it will almost definately not change the story, despite the outcome of the fight being largely inconsequential regardless of who wins. I am considering writing up two alternate fight conclusions to add as omakes to the next chapter, to cover the two options that didn't happen, but that's still up in the air.

In short, I'd like people's thoughts on what they think _should_ happen, before they find out what actually _does_ happen.

And now I'd like to take a quick word to reply to Mecrolos' review. First, thanks for the feedback. Second, I agree with you that the story's easier to read without the song lyrics, which is why I generally write the chapters without them, and always keep a version song-free. However, my third, and most important point, is: Removing the songs would defeat the purpose of writing the story; well, one of two, anyway.

I wanted this story not just to be my own version of the Tournament Saga, but also to be a challenge to myself to see if I could write an entire story of songfics. I've had an attempt at songfics before with Mix Tape, but that was a collection of one-shots, and, as such, the only continuity I had to keep was to the handful of events from The Phoenix Chronicles contained within them. With Disturbance, however, I have, as of now, 53-56 chapters planned, with only 5-7 of them lacking chosen songs (there are three chapters I'm still not entirely sure I'll do) and this, quite simply, is a challenge.

What I _am _thinking of doing, however, is, once I complete the story, or at least reach a milestone such as the end of a 'Book', releasing a 'Complete Version', containing every chapter - or every chapter thus far, depending on when I do this - without the song lyrics. If you can't wait that long, then you have three choices, really. Copy the text into an offline document and edit them out, put up with/ignore the lyrics, or don't read the story anymore. -shrug-


	5. C05: Devour

--- Disturbance, Book 1: Convergence ---

Chapter C05 - Devour

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-Still enough-_

When the light died down to normal levels again, a gasp went up from the crowd. The arena was empty. Both Trunks and Goten were lying on the grass, and only now starting to drag themselves to their feet. Shaking himself quickly from his stupor, the announcer shouted, "Unbelievable folks, both Trunks _and_ Goten are out of the ring! We're going to need to go to our judges to work out who landed out of the ring first, so we can find our winner."

_-Although I know you're not begging-_

"Well, that's certainly an interesting development," Kaen commented for the group.

Pi shrugged against him, "Guess they were a little more evenly matched than even _I_ thought."

_-Still as the thoughts running through your mind-_

Climbing back to their feet, the two kids calmly walked around the arena until they were standing on the path connecting the arena to the fighters lounge. Grinning in true Son fashion, despite the massive - and slowly fading - red mark on the right side of his face, Goten chirped cheerfully, "Wow Trunks, you sure pack a punch!"

Trunks grinned back, a matching red mark on his face, as he replied, "You're not too bad yourself. You holdin' back on me before?"

Goten just laughed, replying in a sing-song voice, "May-be."

_-Still enough-_

"Ladies and gentlemen," the announcer's voice declared suddenly, "The judges have reached their decision." He paused, waiting for the crowd to settle, before continuing, "The sensors placed around the arena have reported that both Trunks and Goten hit the grass _simultaneously_. Added to that is the fact that both of these boys fought so impressively. In light of that, the judges have decided upon an never-before-seen outcome: the match is a draw!"

_-Although I know you're not begging-_

"What!" Vegeta shouted, outraged, "A draw? What the hell kind of verdict is that!"

"Aw man," Goku whined, "Now I'm not gonna be able to find out which boy's stronger."

Gohan just laughed, "I guess history _is_ doomed to repeat itself."

_-Give me a reason to make you mine!-_

"Now then," the announcer continued, "With this decision come several new outcomes. First, the prize money for first and second places will be divided evenly between the two boys. Second, with the previous Junior World Champion having advanced to the Adult Division, neither boy will be required to have a match against her," - Videl breathed a sigh of relief at this point - "But next tournament, in the event neither one of these boys win, the new champion will be able to have a match against either, of his or her choice, or both. Third, the boys themselves will be allowed to decide who is taking part in the exhibition match, or they can both fight, if they so wish." With the formality out of the way, he walked over to the two boys, raising a hand above his head and shouting, "Now, can I get one final round of applause for these two amazing fighters!"

The crowd was more than happy to oblige.

_-I will devour you-_

"Well, we've seen enough," Kaen commented, before he and Pi began walking off.

Turning to face their slowly receding backs, Gohan asked, "Where're you going?"

With a shrug, Pi replied, "We're gonna head down to the practice arena and start warming up."

_-Take all the pain away-_

Turning to Truniz, Kaen added, "And you can tell the old men that if they want to talk to us, they can do it themselves, instead of sending you." Truniz just grinned, not surprised in the least that they'd figured out the real reason he was there.

"Wait," Videl interjected, "Aren't you gonna watch my dad's exhibition match?"

_-I cannot stay my hand-_

He just snorted, "Please. If I want to watch Trunks fight an egotistical, loud-mouthed blowhard, I'll watch him fight Vegeta; at least _that_ match-up would be semi-exciting." With that, the two left, Vegeta's growl seeming to chase them away.

Spinning around to face Gohan, Videl barked, "What the hell did he mean by that?"

Gohan just sighed and shook his head, replying, "You'll find out soon enough..."

_-From reaching out so that I can-_

"Trunks, what's a 'exhibition match'?" Goten asked his, as far as he knew, more knowledgeable friend. The two boys were still standing on the path, subconsciously tuning out both the announcer and crowd's attempts to draw Hercule out from backstage to begin the exhibition match.

Folding his arms, Trunks replied, "It's a fight where the winner doesn't matter; all that matters is that the people fight."

_-Empower you-_

"Oh okay," Goten nodded, then asked, "But why are they trying to bring Hercule out for one?"

Trunks just slapped his forehead and groaned irritably, "Haven't you been listening to anything they've been saying? Hercule is meant to have an exhibition match against the winner of the Junior Division; namely, us."

_-For all eternity-_

"We have to fight Hercule?" Goten parroted, before he began waving his arms about frantically, "I don't wanna fight Hercule; you do it."

"Why don't you want to fight him?" Trunks asked mockingly, "Surely you're not scared?"

Goten's head shook so fast it began a blur, before he replied, "Nooo, that's just boooring."

_-It seems to ease my mind-_

"Thousand zenni says he doesn't show," Krillin commented.

Feeling the need to support his would-be girlfriend's father, Gohan anted up, "Two thousand says he does."

Surprisingly, it was Vegeta who raised the bet further, "Three thousand says he shows up, but makes an ass of himself doing so." Much to Videl's silent dismay, no more bets were placed to dispute that.

_-To know that you've brought meaning to my life-_

"What are you guys all doing here?"

Looking up at Pi's exclamation, Kaen noticed the large group of people approaching. While he expected to see the other people competing, he was a little surprised to see the rest of the group with them. He gathered, by the shit-eating grin he saw on Vegeta's face, that the older Saiyan was now six thousand zenni richer, having heard the bets made before the exhibition match.

_-Had enough-_

Gohan opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, Krillin cut in with, "Are you sufficiently 'warmed up', huh?" The innuendo was so thick even Goku got it.

Growling, Kaen snapped his fingers, before spreading his fingers and forming a small ball of fire on his palm. Aiming said ball of fire in Krillin's direction, he barked, "Back off little man, or I'll show you just how warm it can get. Now, why is everyone here?"

_-Although I see you're not running-_

Trying again, Gohan answered for the group, "Well, after the exhibition match you two skipped out on, the announcer declared a one hour recess in the tournament, so we decided we were gonna go get something to eat. We kinda figured you guys'd want in, so, here we are."

While physical communication wasn't needed between the two of them, Kaen and Pi still shared a glance before nodding, Kaen replying, "Sure."

_-Still are the thoughts running through your mind-_

"Wait a minute," Videl interjected, "Didn't you guys eat, like, an hour or two ago."

Pi blinked, "What's your point 'Del?"

Sighing in exasperation, Videl explained, "My point is that all that food is going to weigh you down and make you sluggish."

Throwing an arm around the girl as the group walked off, Pi replied, "Videl, clearly you have no idea what you're talking about."

_-Dead to love-_

As soon as the massive group of people entered the eating establishment, all Saiyans within began sniffing the air, to see how good the food was. When the males started shaking their heads, the female Saiyans, excluding Lime, but including Chichi and Kat, began walking towards the kitchens, April commenting for the lot of them, "If they can't make proper food, we'll just have to do it ourselves."

"Can I help?"

_-The path that you are now taking-_

All activity from the group suddenly stopped, several of the women pausing mid-step, before they turned around to face the speaker: Videl. Being possibly the most diplomatic of the group, Raene asked, "You know how to cook?"

Videl nodded, answering the unspoken questions as well, "Yeah. Despite my father's choice of lifestyle, I decided I wasn't going to rely on servants all my life, so in what little spare time I have I've been getting the chefs to teach me." With a smile, she added, "I've found that the old adage is true: the best meal truly is the one you make yourself."

_-Show me the reason to make you mine!-_

A smile spread across the faces of all six women, as Pi and Chichi walked forward, putting an arm around the girl's shoulders from opposite sides, and bringing her into the group. Videl couldn't keep the smile from her face at the acceptance she felt as, flanked on the right by Chichi, Raene, and Cherri, and flanked on the left by Pi, Kat, and April, the group of women, now seven large, strode purposefully into the kitchen to begin the monumental task of cooking for all their friends.

_-I will devour you-_

In the stunned silence that followed, it was Kaen that broke the ice. "You know Gohan, if I didn't already have a mate, I think I'd be jealous."

Gohan just smiled.

_-Take all the pain away-_

"Wow Videl, these sweet rolls are amazing!"

Videl desperately fought the urge to preen at Gohan's praise, as she tried to continue eating her own food from her seat at his left. Nonetheless, she still felt her face heat up at his words, as she replied, "You really think so?"

He turned to smile at her, and for a moment she forgot how to breathe. "Videl, if I didn't know better, I'd swear kaasan made these."

_-I cannot stay my hand-_

This time, she was about three seconds short of a swoon. "You're just saying that..." Having spent the past two weeks hanging around with Gohan, she knew how important food was to him, and just how good Chichi's food was, so that was quite the compliment.

From Gohan's right, Goku called out, "Hey son, can I try-"

"No," Gohan growled semi-playfully, wrapping his right arm around the plate, "Mine. Get your own."

A smile on her face, Videl playfully slapped him on the back of the head, chiding, "Gohan, play nice. Share."

_-From reaching out so that I can-_

Gohan just shook his head stubbornly, "Nuh uh." Seeing Gohan act like a five-year-old, Videl couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips. A smile playing across his lips, Gohan turned to face the girl, asking teasingly, "Videl, did you just giggle?" As she quickly shook her head and waved her arms, denying the accusation hotly, Gohan saw some movement out of the corner of his eye.

_-Empower you-_

Whipping his head forward again, he saw Kaen quickly snatch his hand back, having reached across the table, and in his hand were one of the sweet rolls Videl had made. Tearing it in half, he passed one piece to Pi, before eating the other himself. Grinning bastardly over the table at Gohan, he commented, "Wow, those _are_ good."

_-For all eternity-_

As Gohan growled at his friend, Videl let out another giggle, before quickly slapping a hand over her mouth. Turning back to the girl, Gohan half-growled, "You think that's funny do you?" When she shook her head, he grinned widely, saying, "I'll give you something to laugh about." He reached over, poking her in the ribs, and causing her to giggle again. When she grabbed his hand, he reached over with his other arm, poking her again in the stomach, and eliciting another giggle. Grinning widely, he commented, "Here's a new line of merchandise: Tickle Me Videl."

_-It seems to ease my mind-_

Trying vainly to halt both her giggle, and Gohan's roaming hands, she shrieked, "Gohan! Stop it!"

"Yeah Gohan," Pi commented smugly, "I don't think she'd approve of those toys. After all, I'm pretty sure there's only one boy Videl to tickle her the right way."

The entire group of friends burst into laughter as the two teens flushed, although some were louder than others; there was at least two cries of "Way to go Gohan", and one "My baby's all grown up."

_-To know that you've brought meaning to my life-_

Ten minutes later, the group had finished eating; well, all bar one of them. Goku, proving himself again to be a stomach with legs, was still going, much to the disgust of those who had never witnessed him eating before. Even the other Saiyans couldn't believe how much he put away.

"Kami, how can he eat so much..." Kat commented quietly.

"Especially considering he's dead," Pi added, in the same tone.

_-Run, to where the smallest ray of light will never find you-_

"What did he die of? Food poisoning? Ruptured stomach?" Falcon muttered.

Turning to Kaen, Truniz remarked, "This must be what it's like for normal people watching _us_ eat."

Nodding, the younger Saiyan replied, "It would explain the stares."

_-Run, to where you will not need to shield your eyes-_

"Hey, I just thought of something," Videl exclaimed, "When we were all cooking, how come Bulma didn't help?"

"She's an inventor, not a cook," Chichi replied, with a helpless shrug, "I've tried teaching her, but it never seems to stick."

_-Run, away from all the soulless, heartless fiends who hound you-_

"Putting her in a kitchen is like asking for the plague," Vegeta commented, "How the woman can turn perfectly good food into toxic waste is beyond me."

"What did you say!" Bulma screeched.

"You heard me, and you know it's the truth," Vegeta replied with a shrug. Not surprisingly, an argument ensued.

After watching the two bicker for a minute, Videl asked, "Is that normal?"

_-Run, away and let your memories go blind, when I-_

Gohan just shrugged, "Pretty much, yeah, but normal isn't a word we use much. Those two are the only people I have ever met that could scream 'I'll kill you because I love you' and mean every word of it."

Bemused, she asked, "How can they even stand each other, let alone be married?"

"Ever see those soap operas where two people slap each other, then kiss?" he offered.

"Yeah?"

_-Devour you-_

He shrugged again, "Like that... All the time... Turned up to eleven."

Putting a hand to her chin, she mused, "So, underneath all that aggression there's love?"

"Yup," he nodded, "And behind that love is more aggression."

_-Take all the pain away-_

She threw him an odd look, one eyebrow raised. "You have some weird friends Gohan."

"And what, exactly, is normal in _your_ life?" Truniz interrupted. When she couldn't find an answer, he shrugged, "It's an odd galaxy, get used to it."

"What an odd thing to say..." Videl commented to herself, but before she could think on it too much, Goku finally finished, and the massive group set off for the stadium again.

_-I cannot stay my hand-_

As the extended group headed back to the arena, swapping stories, jibes, and jokes, they noticed a pair of odd individuals approaching them. Pausing, the group cast a quick eye over the newcomers. The first was a short purple-skinned man with a white mohawk, and the second was a tall, red-skinned being. Both were dressed in similar outfits, that looked strangely familiar to a few of the Z-Fighters, although they couldn't place where they'd seen them.

_-From reaching out so that I can-_

Walking over to the centre of the group, where Goku stood, the shorter one bowed politely, saying, "I am so glad I had the chance to meet you Goku. I have heard so much about you." Directing a hand at the other man with him, he continued, "My name is Shin, and my companion is Kibito." Turning back to the group, he finished, "I hope I get the opportunity to fight you in the tournament. It would be an honour." With that, the two walked off.

Ignoring Vegeta's grumbling, Krillin asked, "What was that about?"

Goku just shrugged and laughed, "I have no idea."

_-Empower you-_

Noticing the look in his old friend's eye, Avarrdo scolded, "No, you are _not_ dissecting another alien! April is _still_ mad at me about the last mess you made!"

"That was you?" April interrupted.

Kellre just shrugged, "You've done worse for your claims of science."

"Hey, I don't kill things for science," Avarrdo defended.

"Considering some of the things you've done, that's probably a lot worse," Kellre shot back.

_-For all eternity-_

Stepping in to stop the argument, Truniz supplied, "Well, he _is_ an entrant in the competition, judging by where he's headed, so you'll get your body after the tournament."

"I wonder which planet he's from..." Raene mused.

"You won't find a planet in this galaxy that has creatures like either of those," Kaen growled, Pi resting a hand on his shoulder to hold him back should he attack.

"How do you know that, son?" Avarrdo asked; fortunately, Videl and the rest of the humans were too far away to hear the exchange.

Kaen just shook his head, as if to clear off a rogue thought. Muttering, "Damn deja vu..." to himself, he replied, "I just do."

_-It seems to ease my mind-_

"Now's our chance Goten, let's go!"

The two boys hurried off, having managed to separate themselves from the others when the two groups split off into competitors and spectators; after all, with them having been in the Junior Division, there wouldn't be empty seats for them up in the stands.

"Why are we doing this again Trunks?" Goten asked.

Sighing in annoyance, Trunks replied, "You wanna fight in the Adult Division don't you?" Waiting for the younger boy to nod, he continued, "Well, we've gotta find a way to get in, and the only way we're gonna do that is if we can find someone who we can take the place of." Spying a guy in a huge white sheet, Trunks smirked, "And I think we've found our mark."

As the older boy rubbed his hands together, planning what he needed to do, Goten asked, "How do you know his name's even Mark?"

_-To know that you've brought meaning to my life-_

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

I know, I know, this was a weak ending. Sue me. Go on, I dare you. Bring me the forms; I'll do it for ya.

EDIT (8/4/07): I found a song I liked for this chapter, so, here it is.


	6. C06: Sillyworld

--- Disturbance, Book 1: Convergence ---

Chapter C06 - Sillyworld

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-Freedom's just a word today-_

"Ladies and gentlemen, I would officially like to welcome you to the commencement of the Twenty-Fifth Tenkaichi Budokai!" The blonde-haired announcer shouted cheerfully, "We've got a terrific line-up of fighters assembled, all here to battle it out for your enjoyment, and if the Junior Division is any judge of what's to come, we are in for a fantastic ride! While we wait for the drawing to be completed, I'll give you a sneak peak of what's to come."

_-Freedom's just a word-_

"Among our fighters today, we have eight former Tenkaichi entrants, including two former champions, two former finalists, and two former semi-finalists. To top it all off, we have the previous Junior Champion, our very own Videl Satan! And rounding off the spread we have seven newcomers to the tournament stage, each looking strong enough to give the champ himself a run for his money! This will be one for the history books folks, don't miss a minute of it!"

_-When someone takes your word away it's seldom ever heard-_

"So, care to make a wager on the outcome of this little competition?" Cherri asked the assembled friends, the beginning of a smirk on her face.

"What are the stakes?" Kellre asked; nothing made a sporting event more interesting than having money riding on the outcome. His interest seemed to be shared by quite a few people there.

Putting a hand to her chin in thought, she replied, "Let's say... ten thousand zenni?" When the others nodded their approval to the wager, she continued, "And everyone bets on who they think will walk away with the title. Only one bet per person, and, if possible, only one bet per entrant, but, in the event two people bet on the same person and that person wins, they split the pot."

"Sounds reasonable enough," Yamcha nodded.

Nodding herself, she concluded, "If we're gonna do this, we should do it now, before the drawing's done, to prevent people being influenced by it. I'll hold onto the money, 'coz I'm the least biased here."

_-So take a sentence full of things you're not supposed to say-_

"Alright then, I'm in," Bulma commented, producing her purse and pulling out the money, "I wager Vegeta's training has finally made him the strongest, and he comes out on top."

"Oh please," Chichi muttered, producing money of her own and handing it to Cherri, "My Goku clearly still has the edge. He's sure to win this competition."

"Well, count me in," Yamcha supplied, producing his money, "I'm willing to put my hand up and say Krillin lucks his way through the competition."

"You're dreaming," Roshi replied, "Piccolo's gonna mop the floor with him."

"Care to put your money where your mouth is old man?" Yamcha asked smarmily.

With a toothy grin, Roshi dug up the money, "You're on!"

_-Carry on, but don't write it down-_

"I wanna bet on my mommy!" Marron piped up, surprising everyone.

"But sweetie, where are you going to get the money?" Cherri asked softly.

Seeing the young blonde's sad face, Ox King let out a deep belly laugh, saying, "I'll cover her."

_-Or you'll be gone-_

"Well, I'm betting on Videl sneaking her way past the rest of the powerhouses to take the title," Kat commented, producing her money.

Avarrdo pulled out a wad of cash, saying dryly, "Kaen," as he handed the money over.

"And what are you basing that on?" Truniz asked with a smirk.

Avarrdo smirked back, "Family loyalty."

Truniz just grinned wider, "I'm down with that. Put me down on my favourite niece."

"And you Kellre?" Cherri asked, sure the third of the trio of 'wise men' would jump at the chance.

Kellre just smirked in kind, "I'm wagering that they both knock each other out of the competition, and Gohan takes the title."

_-Love is just a song today-_

"Thanks you for your patience, and congratulations to you fifteen fighters for passing the preliminaries." At the front of the group, a pair of monks stood beside a small table with a box on it, and a whiteboard with sixteen numbered spaces. "I will call your names at random, and then you need to come up here and draw a numbered ball from the box, which will determine your position. As Hercule is busy preparing, he will have whichever number remains after everyone else draws. Does everyone understand?" When no one voiced an argument, he continued, "Alright then, first up is Jewel."

_-Love is just a song-_

"So, you ready for this?"

Videl smiled confidently at him, "Of course I am Gohan. Are you?" When the teen just smiled back at her, she asked seriously, "Gohan, be honest with me for a moment: who do you think are the biggest threats to you coming away with the title?"

Sighing once, the Demi-Saiyan replied, "The biggest, and probably only, threats are my dad, Vegeta, Kaen, and Pi."

"Why those four?" The girl asked curiously.

_-When someone takes the song away you seldom sing along-_

Turning to face her, he replied, "Kaen and Pi are a threat because I have no idea just how strong they really are, and he has specifically said that he's using this tournament as an excuse to show off his full power. Vegeta and my dad are a threat because I know _exactly_ how strong they are; or rather, how strong they would be now, with all the training they've no doubt done." With more thought, he added, "The next biggest threat is definitely Piccolo. He's got more than enough experience to make up for his lack of strength."

"My dad didn't even make the top five huh..." Videl muttered sourly under her breath, not intending for Gohan to hear it; of course, with his sharper-than-average hearing, he heard every word.

_-So take those lyrics serious and sing your life away-_

Putting his hands on her shoulders and forcing her to look at him, he commented, "Look, I'm not going to lie to you Videl; no, your father is not a threat. To a normal fighter, yes, he would be hard to beat, but to people like myself who can use ki... Heck, even you could defeat him with ease Videl, whether you're willing to believe that or not." Before the girl could question him further, they heard his name being called out, and the moment was over.

_-Carry on, but don't write 'em down-_

As he approached the board, he noticed that three names were already on the board: some guy names Jewel was number six, Piccolo had wound up as number thirteen, and that Kibito they'd met earlier was number ten. Reaching into the box, he grabbed the first ball he touched, drawing it out to reveal number nine. It would seem he would get to see just how powerful this mysterious Kibito was himself. He tried not to notice the smile on the red-skinned giant of a man as he walked back to Videl's side.

_-Or they'll be gone-_

"Well, it looks like we have our first match up!" The monk announced excitedly, "Gohan will be fighting Kibito in round five. Now, next up is Videl."

_-All we ever do is talk-_

"Well, Gohan's got an easy by into the semi-finals," Kat commented casually, seeing the state of the board. Gohan's first match would be up against that Kibito guy they met before, and his second match would be up against either Videl, or some guy named Spopovich, who she remembered Kaen talking about; he was only human, and thus, Videl should easily be able to defeat him. If not, well, Gohan would make short work of him.

_-We like to ride but we never walk-_

"It looks like Eighteen does as well," Yamcha added, "I mean, she's up against that Mighty Mask fella in the first round, and probably someone else weak the next round."

"And what are you basing this on?" Raene asked, "In case you haven't noticed, Gohan is the only Saiyan fighter who's up on that board so far, so she's got a two-in-three chance of having to fight a Saiyan in the second round."

_-We make it so damn easy we get bored-_

"Yeah, but in case you haven't been informed on just how strong Eighteen is, only two of those Saiyans are going to be a problem for her," Yamcha shot back, "Don't forget she easily mopped the floor with all of us, Vegeta included, and he was a Super Saiyan."

_-Why can't anybody see?-_

Raene just smiled cryptically, a look mirrored by her mate, as she commented, "Oh, I wouldn't count Kaen and Pi out just yet. They've still got many tricks up their sleeves."

"What, so you think they might have actually ascended?" Bulma queried, then grinned and added, "Or do you already _know_ they have?"

_-What's good for you is good for me-_

Still smiling cryptically, Raene replied, "I honestly cannot say just how strong Kaen and Pi are; it has been a decade since I last saw them fight. What I do know, however, is that it's not always the strongest fighters that wins, as I'm sure has been proven many times in the past, am I correct?" The round of nods that went around those assembled proved her point sufficiently enough.

_-I can't take your sillyworld-_

"Seriously though," Yamcha continued, "Do you reckon they might have ascended? How strong do you think they are?"

Kellre replied for her, "They have always proven themselves to be as strong as they needed to be. If you want to see how strong they 'need to be' now, you'd best wait until they fight."

"You know more than you're letting on," Bulma stated more than asked, casting her gaze across the faces of the Saiyans, hoping she might glean something from their expression; she was mistaken. "You all know more than you're saying."

_-I can't take your sillyworld no more-_

"I thought you knew by now," Kellre started, a slight smile on his face.

"We know everything there is to know," Raene continued.

"We have seen from the very beginning, to the end of time itself," Avarrdo added.

"And we are doomed to watch everything repeat itself again," April finished.

All was silent for a good minute, before Truniz burst out laughing, and bastardly smirks broke out across all four of their faces. Shaking with mirth, Truniz commented, "Don't mind them. They enjoy doing shit like that to freak people out. I'm honestly surprised they haven't done it before."

"They can't all be 'A' material," April replied with a dismissive shrug.

_-Peace is just two fingers now-_

Vegeta scowled to himself, arms folded in his trademark fashion as he tapped his foot irritably, waiting for his name to be called, standing halfway between the group containing Kakarott, and Kaen and Pi. Now, Vegeta considered himself above such things as eavesdropping; Vegeta did not eavesdrop, he merely overheard conversations he wasn't supposed to due to his heightened hearing, and being in the right place at the right time. And right now, Vegeta was overhearing a very interesting conversation from the Saiyan couple to his left.

_-Peace was just a phase-_

"Are you really that worried about them being here?" Pi commented, watching Yamu walk back to stand next to Spopovich, after having drawn number fifteen.

"It's not them I'm worried about," Kaen replied, casting an eye over the pair. Both had changed a lot from the two he raced against a month and a half ago; both were now bald, and looking like they hadn't seen sun for a month, not to mention the bulging veins, and the black 'M' branded into their foreheads. "It's what them being here means."

_-When someone put it on a shirt you knew to count the days-_

Pi sighed, "Yeah, you're right. It means 'he' is here, doesn't it?"

"And if he's here, we both know what he's trying to do."

"He's trying to revive 'it'." Pi replied grimly

_-So take those fingers tape 'em up and shove 'em up your ass and carry on-_

After letting this sink in for a while, Pi asked, "So, what do we do about it then?"

"Nothing," Kaen replied. "We do nothing until he makes his move. For his plan to succeed, he's got to reveal it at some point, and I'm not going to tilt my hand until I know what cards are in his."

"And what of the other two?" she asked, subtly indicating Shin and Kibito.

_-But don't try it now-_

"I have no idea..." Kaen replied truthfully, "I can't even remember _why_ I'm so distrustful of them, I just know them being here doesn't bode well for... well, everyone."

Pi opened her mouth to ask a question, but shut it quickly as Kaen grabbed his head, grunting in pain. Moving quickly to support him, in the event his legs give out from under him, she asked, "Are you okay?"

He shrugged off her concern, replying, "Of course I am, nothing to worry about. Just... Some deja vu deciding to be more painful than usual." She opened her mouth to refute his statement, but before she could get a word out, they heard his name being called out to draw, and she knew her mate well enough to know she'd never be able to bring it up again.

_-Cause peace is gone-_

Kaen reached into the box, pulling out the ball numbered sixteen, and the monk had to suppress a shiver at the evil grin that broke out on his face as he watched his name being written down under Yamu's. He may have told his mate that they wouldn't act until provoked, but that didn't mean he couldn't have some fun in the mean time.

_-All we ever do is talk-_

As he walked back to where Pi stood, the monk called out her name, so she calmly walked past him to take her turn at draw. A scowl settled on her face, however, when she drew number one. Suddenly disinterested, she tossed the ball absently at the monk as she walked back to her mate.

_-We like to ride but we never walk-_

"So, see you in the finals?" Kaen asked rhetorically.

She grinned back at him, "Damn right you will. I expect to face you in the arena, so don't disappoint me."

_-We make it so damn easy we get bored-_

"You're dreaming, the pair of you," Vegeta sneered, as he walked up to draw a ball of his own, "You're never going to see the finals, except from the sidelines." Reaching into the box, he snatched out a ball, which was revealed to be the number three. Krillin gulped in fear; he was number four, and, by the smirk on Vegeta's face, he was in for a pounding at the Saiyan Prince's hands.

_-Why can't anybody see?-_

Grinning cheerfully, Goku walked up to draw his ball, spending a little time exchanging polite chit-chat with the monks, before reaching in and pulling out number two. With that ball chosen, there was only one ball left in the box, which would be Hercule's; the returning champ lucked out, getting number five, and being paired up with Jewel, ensuring an easy trip to the quarter-finals.

_-What's good for you is bad for me-_

"Well, looks like we're up first Pi," Goku cried out in his usual friendly tone.

"Great," Pi muttered to herself sourly, "Just great. I've gotta go up against Goku first off, and, if my some chance I win, I've got to deal with Vegeta."

"Hey, if anyone can do it, it's you," Kaen commented quietly, in an effort to cheer his mate up, "After all, you've been dealing with me these past fifteen years. Surely that's prepared you for anything."

She grinned despite herself, "That's true."

_-I can't take your sillyworld-_

Ignoring the banter between the two, the awkward flirting between the brat and the Satan girl, and the annoying rambling of Kakarott and the moronic midget, Vegeta cast his eyes over Spopovich and Yamu. To be honest, he didn't see anything even remotely threatening about them; their power level was insulting, at best, to someone as strong as himself. Nonetheless, Kaen was concerned about them; 'No, not them in particular', he corrected himself, 'Someone they have dealings with.'

_-I can't take your sillyworld no more-_

While Vegeta would never admit this under pain of torture, or even if forced to eat his mate's cooking, he did respect the older-but-younger Saiyan that was his diplomatic attaché, enough such that if he suspected someone might be trouble, Vegeta took it seriously. The fact that Kaen was also, so he claimed, that 'Phoenix' he'd grown up hearing about didn't hurt his case, and today would prove once and for all if Kaen really _was_ Phoenix.

_-We fight our instincts-_

_"Master, we've already found several strong fighters at this tournament,"_ Yamu informed his master through the telepathic link that had been set up between them.

_"Excellent!"_ The high-pitched voice of said master exclaimed in his and Spopovich's heads, _"This is promising indeed. Continue to observe them; I only want energy from the strongest one!"_

_"Of course master."_

_-We go to extremes-_

"Kibito, we need to work out who their target is," Shin commented quietly to his companion.

"Indeed, my lord," Kibito replied back just as quietly, his voice rumbling a little, "But who could it be? None of these seem even a quarter as strong as you or I."

"Don't be too hasty Kibito," Shin rebutted, "I sense... something, about many of them, as if they have more power than we can tell."

"We shall find out soon enough then."

"Indeed we shall."

_-We fight our instincts-_

_"What should we do about the Kai master?"_ Yamu asked.

_"Absolutely nothing!"_ the voice shrieked, _"You will draw no more attention to yourself than you have to. I cannot afford to wait any longer due to your blundering, understand?"_

_"Yes master,"_ Yamu replied quickly, lest his master become upset with him; when his master got upset, people died.

_"Good. Continue your scouting."_

_-We go to extremes-_

"I still don't like this plan, lord." Kibito muttered quietly.

"Neither do I Kibito," Shin replied, "But it's the best plan we have."

"You are right, of course," Kibito said calmly, "We need to find his ship, no matter the cost."

"Indeed," Shin replied gravely, casting an eye over those assembled, before adding sadly, "What is but one life compared to the lives of everyone in the universe, if not existence itself?"

_-We fought a lot-_

"Okay fighters," the monk announced, "Now that the draw is complete, I would ask you to move to the fighter's lounge to await your match, and good luck to all of you."

"I don't need luck," Vegeta replied with a scowl.

_-We fought a lot-_

"Well, this is certainly an... interesting drawing," April commented.

"Indeed it is," Kellre replied, "The only thing really stopping either Gohan or Kaen from reaching the finals is each other."

_-We fought a lot-_

"I do feel a little sorry for Pi though," Chichi lamented, "She's got to face my Goku in the first match, and if, by some miracle, she wins, then she'll be up against Vegeta."

"You know Chichi," Bulma interjected, "I think that might be the ideal situation. I mean, you and I both know what will happen if Goku wins."

_-We fought a lot-_

No one commented on that, but they didn't have to. Everyone assembled either knew, or had been informed, of Goku and Vegeta's intense rivalry. If those two met in the arena, it would be nothing less than a small scale nuclear war; small if they were lucky, and seriously, how often were they lucky about things like this?

_-We fought a lot-_

"There's still the chance they'll all eliminate each other though," Yamcha commented, after a moment of silence.

"You know, there's a remarkably good chance that Vegeta and Eighteen will wind up in the semis together," Falcon commented, then watched as every Z-Fighter who'd been present at Eighteen's... 'awakening' seven years ago shuddered; that would almost be as bad as Vegeta fighting Goku.

_-We fought a lot-_

"In any case, the second half of the board seems a little predetermined, doesn't it?" Kat added.

"I wouldn't rule out Piccolo just yet," Chichi replied; Piccolo and her had reached a sort of middle ground several years back. "He does, after all, have a lot more experience, and probably strength." Chichi, clearly, didn't think much of Kaen's fighting ability.

_-We fought a lot-_

"I wouldn't rule Kaen out either," Avarrdo argued, "He's more tenacious than one would think."

"Plus," Kellre added, "He and Pi drew opposite sides of the board. No doubt they will each strive to meet the other in the finals, by any means necessary."

_-We fought a lot-_

"Look, as interesting as this dick waving contesting is getting, we could be speculating on who is going to do what for hours," Truniz cut everyone off, standing up to ensure he had their attention, "Hows about we just sit here and wait for the fighting to start, so we can all be put out of the misery the suspense has put us in, m'kay?" When no one argued, Truniz just sat down again, a satisfied look on his face, that only grew as Cherri pressed herself up against his arm, her arms wrapping around his waist.

_-We fought a lot-_

"You know, you can't really appreciate just how big that crowd is until you see it from this angle..." Gohan murmured to himself, although Videl, still by his side, picked up on it.

"What's the matter Gohan? Scared?" Videl teased.

_-We fought a lot-_

Gohan sighed, "A little bit, yeah. I mean, this'll be the first time I've ever fought before a crowd." 'Well, a crowd I can see...' he corrected to himself, remembering the cameras at the Cell Games. "What about you?"

"Heck no!" Videl cried, pumping her fist into the air for good measure, "I'm excited! I mean, I've done this before at the Junior Division, so I know what to expect. Plus, I've grown up with media attention, so a large crowd is nothing."

_-We fought a lot-_

"A little eager huh?" Gohan asked good-naturedly.

She smiled up at him, "A little yeah. I mean, I know I'm good, but... Everone here just seems so much stronger than me... I dunno, it's daunting."

'If only you knew Videl,' Gohan mused to himself, 'If only you knew.'

_-We fought a lot-_

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being patient while we carried out the draw. And now, without any further ado, let's kick off this contest with a little new guard verses old guard, as we welcome our first two contestants onto the stage, Pi, and Goku!"

_-We fought a lot!-_

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

Bit of a late update this week, but, better late that never. The tournament is finally under way, after six chapters; admittedly, longer than I thought it'd take. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not completely happy with the line-up, but there were some matches that just had to take place, so, sacrificees had to be made. I'll probably explain my choices as the tournament continues.

Also, if you've been paying attention to the past series or two, the not-so-subtle hints my original characters dropped should be fairly obvious.

This is one of the few chapters I've written to the song, rather than adding the song to after, because I already had a story-to-lyric pairing in mind during planning. I think it turned out a little better than it could have otherwise, but I'll leave it up to you guys to be the judge.


	7. C07: Dare To Be Stupid

--- Disturbance, Book 1: Convergence ---

Chapter C07 - Dare To Be Stupid

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-Put down the chainsaw and listen to me-_

As the two fighters strode towards the concrete stage, the announcer declared, "These two fighters seem like complete opposites." That was indeed true, from appearances if nothing else: whereas Goku wore his traditional orange and blue gi, Pi wore a green and red one of similar design, albeit in a female cut; whereas Goku had sort, spiky hair, Pi had almost waist-length, straight hair; whereas Goku had a childish way about him, Pi was entirely too serious, almost aged beyond her years; and, most obviously, they were opposite sexes.

_-It's time for us to join in the fight-_

"Now, I'm sure to all you hard-core Tournament fans out there, a man of Son Goku's qualifications needs no introduction, but I'll give him one anyway. When he first hit the tournament stage during the Twenty-First Budokai, when, at the age of twelve, he stunned fans by being the youngest entrant ever, before the formation of the Junior Division, and further amazed people by making it all the way through to the finals on his first try, being defeated in the end by Jackie Chun."

"During the twenty-second, he returned, and again made it all the way to the finals. On his third try, he was actually crowned champion, after an intense battle with Ma Junior, that levelled the entire stadium. Now, after a brief hiatus during the Twenty-Fourth, he has returned to the tournament stage for another shot at the title. Pi, on the other hand, is a newcomer to our stage, and about all I can tell you is that, if her prelim score is anything to go by, she packs a mean left hook, and, judging by the symbol on the back of her gi, her sensei was, or perhaps still is, another entrant in this tournament."

_-It's time to let your babies grow up to be cowboys-_

Pi smiled to herself, impressed that the announcer had managed to piece together, in the short while she'd been on the island, that the symbol on her back indicated that Kaen was her sensei. 'Then again,' she mused to herself, 'He's probably been doing this since Goku's time, so no doubt he's seen it all before.' The two fighters stopped in the centre of the ring, bowing formally to each other, before they fell into stance, awaiting the gong that signified the start of the match.

_-It's time to let the bedbugs bite-_

"You're quite a famous fighter around these parts, aren't you Goku?" Pi asked rhetorically, starting the pre-fight banter before the fight began.

The younger-but-older Saiyan let out a quick laugh, "Guess so. I never was one to really pay attention to things like that."

She smirked, "Probably didn't understand a word of it, did you?"

He grinned, "Probably not, no."

As the gong sounded, her smirk widened, before she commented, "Well, guess I'm going to be quite famous when I defeat you then won't I?"

_-You better put all your eggs in one basket-_

"Thousand zenni says Roc throws him out of the ring within five minutes," Eagle commented offhandedly.

"Thousand five says it takes over five minutes," Raptor replied.

"Two thousand says she uses some kind of sleeper hold or pressure points to KO him in under five," Oz wagered.

_-You better count your chickens before they hatch-_

Harrier upped the stakes further, "Two five says Oz's right, but it'll take longer then five."

"Three thousand says she stuns him with a blow to the ribs, before sending him out of the ring with an uppercut," Condor continued.

"Three five says it's a series of punches that drives him to, and over, the edge," Hawk added.

Falcon placed the final bet; "Four says she takes him out with a kick to the spine, followed by an elbow drop."

_-You better sell some wine before it's time-_

Yamcha gave the group a weird look, commenting, "You guys _do_ know this is Goku she's fighting, right? And that he's almost certainly stronger than her?"

"Of course we do," Hawk replied dismissively, "We've heard all about Goku. However, this is Roc we're talking about; she's a crafty little thing, and Goku, we've been told... wasn't the brightest of fighters."

_-You better find yourself an itch to scratch-_

"Okay, I'll grant you that point," Yamcha conceded, "But why are all of you so confident Pi'll win?"

"It's simple, really," Eagle replied with a shrug, "There are two reasons."

"One: Pi is probably the smartest person this side of geniuses like Bulma and Gohan, and she's more manipulative to boot," Harrier continued, "She's been dealing with Phoenix all these years, and getting her way too, so outsmarting Goku won't be too hard."

"And the second reason?" The retired fighter prodded.

Falcon just grinned, "Goku treats every fight like a game, but Pi plays every game to win."

_-You better squeeze all the Charmin you can while Mr. Wimpole's not around-_

The second the gong was struck, Pi wasted no time, speeding forward with a flurry of attacks, and immediately forcing Goku on the defensive. She wasn't surprised to find him blocking every attack, but then, the purpose of the attacks wasn't to connect; it was to drive him backwards. There were two things Pi knew, without a doubt, that would need to happen for her to win this fight: she'd need to send Goku out of the ring, and she'd need to do it fast.

After almost half a minute of attacks, one of her punches finally connected, sending the younger-but-older fighter skidding back, and making him realise that he was near the edge of the arena. With a sudden burst of ki, he leapt into the air, flying in an arc over his opponent, and narrowly missing the kick that would have connected with his ribs. He didn't get away Scott-free, however, as, leg still extended, Pi similarly leapt, spinning her other leg around to drive her knee into his back, before swinging her extended leg back and landing on it.

_-Stick your head in the microwave and get yourself a tan-_

Rolling with the blow, Goku quickly landed on his feet, but let out a yelp as he was quickly forced to lean backwards, as a ki blast, extending from Pi's right hand, sailed through the air his head had occupied moments ago. Before he could recover, she swept his legs out from under him, and as he fell backwards, she continued her spin and again drove her knee into his back, ironically in the exact same spot as the first blow, before, continuing the motion, she leapt into the air slightly, raising her other leg near vertical to her body, and sending him towards the ground again with a punishing axe kick.

As soon as Goku struck floor, he quickly rolled to the side and up on to his feet, again narrowly missing an attack, as Pi's right knee drove into the tile his face had been resting on, shattering it. Quickly taking advantage of her position, he threw a hard left hook at her head, but with lightning speed she reached back and grabbed his hand, using his momentum to not only throw him over her shoulder, but in a feat that should have been impossible, also dug her knee out of the tile and swung it around to connect with his temple as she swung up to an upright position.

_-Talk with your mouth full-_

As Goku staggered around dazedly for a moment, having rolled to his feet after the throw, Pi took a moment to rub her raised knee, muttering sourly, "What the hell is that head of yours made of? Titanium?"

As his vision cleared, the two charged at one another again, locking arms in a classic power struggle. Grinning despite the strain, Goku quipped back, "Well, it didn't exactly feel too good on this end either."

_-Bite the hand that feeds you-_

After a silent, subconscious agreement between the two, they broke apart again, falling into stance after putting a few metres between them. Smiling slightly, Pi commented, "You know Goku, you're as good as everyone says you are. I honestly expected to have you out of the ring by this point."

"You won't get me out of the ring that..." Goku began, only to trail off as he sniffed the air, adding, "Hey, do you smell that?"

_-Bite on more than you chew-_

"Smell what?" she asked.

Taking a moment to sniff the air again, he replied, "It smells like... roast pork... and deep-fried chicken... and-"

"Oh, right," Pi replied, cutting him off, "That's probably because I was cooking earlier; must've got the smell on my gi or something."

_-What can you do?-_

Goku felt his stomach rumbling at the memory of all the food he had consumed less than an hour ago. Once again, Goku defied all medical logic, finding himself hungry again already, despite the army's worth of food he'd consumed; or, at the very least, feeling phantom hunger pains. Not that he wouldn't eat to satisfy phantom pains anyway.

To Pi, the sound of Goku's stomach sounded like victory; she had found her opportunity. "You know Goku," she commented casually, "I think there are still some left-overs that haven't been eaten yet."

"Really!" He exclaimed, spinning around. It wasn't until he had finished turning his back on her that he realised his mistake - of course there wouldn't be left-overs, he would've eaten them already - but by then, it was far too late.

_-Dare to be stupid-_

Pi dashed forward the second Goku turned away from her, arriving in time to mule-kick him in the back a split second after he completed the turn. Springing off her hands, she leapt over him, driving her knee into his back as he neared the edge of the arena, and sending him sprawling on the grass, before she gracefully landed on her feet, balanced precariously on the concrete edge.

Shaking himself from his stupor, the announcer shouted, "Amazing! In a stunning upset, the newcomer Pi has won the match, sending three-time finalist Goku out of the ring, and the competition, in the first round. Let's hear it for this up-and-coming fighter!"

As she bowed to the applause of the audience, she heard Goku whine, albeit in a good-natured tone, "That's not fair! You cheated!"

She just grinned at him, "I play to win Goku; you'd do well to remember that next time."

_-Take some wooden nickels-_

"Pay up!" Falcon crowed triumphantly, to much grumbling from her friends as they dug out the money.

"How the hell did you know she was going to do that?" Eagle asked incredulously.

The redhead just grinned to herself as she counted her winnings, replying cryptically, "I have my ways."

_-Look for Mr. Goodbar-_

"And Chichi drops out of the standings!" Cherri exclaimed childishly, to the smiles of her mate and his family.

Chichi just moped to herself, "I just can't believe my Goku lost..."

"Neither can I Chi," Bulma added with a shrug, "I expected him to get to the quarter finals at least."

"I can believe it," Raene commented.

_-Get your mojo working now-_

"What do you mean?" Chichi queried.

Raene smiled, "I do believe I told you Kaen and Pi have a few tricks up their sleeves; one of Pi's is that she's very good at finding people's weaknesses, and, of all people Chichi, you should know what Goku's biggest weakness is."

It didn't take Chichi all that long to figure it out. "Food," she commented, watching Raene's smile widen, "She distracted him with thoughts of food."

_-I'll show you how-_

"That seems pretty underhanded," Bulma commented, sounding disgusted at the notion.

"You have to remember Bulma," April argued, "Those two grew up in the era with Frieza breathing down our necks, where every fight had to be treated as a life-or-death battle if you were going to be prepared, and nothing is too underhanded to ensure your own survival. I'm sure you will have noticed some of these characteristics in Vegeta, but by then, the worst had already happened, so Vegeta's instincts are geared more towards survival than victory."

_-You can dare to be stupid-_

Bulma nodded to herself, as did the other Z-Fighters who had overheard April's argument. She had to admit, even if only to herself, that she had seen those sort of things in Vegeta's character; his never-ending quest for more power, for one. She realised now though, having heard from the other side, that, to Vegeta, beating Goku wasn't the ultimate goal of the rivalry; what was important to Vegeta was being the strongest, being the top of the food chain, because the top of the food chain is the one that always survives.

"So, can we expect the same sort of thing from Kaen then?" Chichi asked, her opinion of the 'ruffian' her son associated with steadily declining; she always knew there was something she didn't like about him, and in her mind, using underhanded tactics vindicated her opinion.

"No, not really," April replied with a shrug, "Finding weaknesses was always Pi's strength, not Kaen's. To be honest, the only thing I can predict about him is that he's unpredictable." Avarrdo just smiled to himself at his mate's comment; it was indeed true what she said, that even Avarrdo's best machines couldn't predict his son's reactions. His bout with Gohan would be quite interesting...

_-You can turn the other cheek-_

"I can't believe Kakarott lost like that," Vegeta grumbled to himself.

"As much as it pains me, I've gotta agree with you there Vegeta," Gohan added, "That was pretty cheap."

Kaen just grinned at the pair of them, as his mate and Goku walked back into the fighter's lounge, "Hey, I'll be the first to admit that, without the ring out rule, there's almost no way Pi or I could win this thing."

_-You can just give up the ship-_

"If you know we're stronger than you, why bother with the song and dance?" Vegeta asked derisively.

"Because Vegeta," Kaen lectured, "As Pi has just proven, strength of body is not the only strength needed to win. What won that battle was strength of mind."

"Um, what?" Krillin asked, confused.

Gohan just sighed, "He means she outsmarted him Krill."

The short monk nodded, "Oh, right. Why didn't you just say so?"

_-You can eat a bunch of sushi and forget to leave a tip-_

Krillin was saved a throttling at the now-irate Saiyan's hands by the timely arrival of said Saiyan's mate. "You tryin' to kill the competition?" Pi asked amusedly, wrapping an arm around her mate's waist.

Kaen just shrugged, "I was considering it, yeah, but I figure Vegeta'll do a good enough job of it. Speaking of which, isn't it your match now?"

At the smirk on Vegeta's face, Krillin gulped, asking rhetorically, "I'm gonna die again aren't I?"

Vegeta just nodded, "Of that, midget, you can be certain." With that, he headed off towards the arena, Krillin hot on his heels.

_-Dare to be stupid-_

"This is another fighter I'm sure I don't need to introduce to you hardcore fans, but nonetheless, I will," the announcer declared, "In a similar match to the one previously, we have a three-time entrant versus a first-timer. Our returnee this time is Krillin, who has competed in every tournament Goku has, although not as successfully, having made it to the semi-finals once, before being caught by the quarter-finals curse."

_-Come on and dare to be stupid-_

"His opponent in this match is a man known only as Vegeta, having given no other details about himself. He did, however, manage to destroy one of the punch machines during the preliminaries however, so Krillin may be in trouble." He paused listening to something through his headpiece, before continuing, "This should be an interesting match folks. If my sources are correct, we have Goku's best friend, versus his heated rival, and the winner goes on to fight the woman who defeated him. What a line-up!"

_-It's so easy to do-_

"So, you guys gonna make a wager on this fight too?" Yamcha asked curiously.

"Hell no!" Eagle exclaimed, waving his arms around for good measure, "We already know Vegeta's gonna pound the midget into the ground, no use losing money over it."

Yamcha gave him a raised eyebrow, "You don't have very much confidence in Krillin's abilities do you?"

The boyish teen just grinned cheekily and shook his head, "Nope."

_-Dare to be stupid-_

"You know, I really hope Vegeta doesn't hurt Krillin too much," Bulma muttered to herself.

"Well," Truniz offered with a smirk, "If it makes you feel any better, killing him would disqualify Vegeta from the competition, so he won't do that."

Bulma just glared up at the longhaired Saiyan, replying, "That doesn't make me feel better at all."

_-We're all waiting for you-_

As Vegeta and Krillin strode up to the arena, Kaen asked aloud, "So, how badly do you think Vegeta's going to hurt Krillin?"

"Let me put it this way," Gohan replied, "I'm glad we brought a few senzu beans." He paused, looking at Piccolo for a moment, before saying, "You _did_ bring the senzu beans, right?"

Piccolo just smirked slightly, before holding up the bag. When Gohan breathed a sigh in relief, Piccolo added, "There aren't many; just five. Korin said the last batch didn't take, or something."

Gohan nodded, replying "We'd better be careful with them then."

_-Let's go-_

As Vegeta walked out to the concrete arena, he purposefully shut out the pointless blathering of the blonde human with the microphone, and the wordless roar of the crowd. Instead, he cast his mind to Kakarott; or, more accurately, on why Kakarott lost his match. Part of him wanted to believe that Pi truly had outsmarted him - an act that was surely as difficult as shooting fish in a barrel - but his pride refused to accept that.

_-It's time to make a mountain out of a molehill-_

Kakarott was afraid of him, his pride reasoned; he was terrified of him, of the power he now possessed, so he threw the fight so he could avoid facing him on the battlefield. To Vegeta, his pride had never steered him wrong before, so, as outlandish as this theory was, he chose to believe it, and with this theory came anger. Anger that the rematch he was due was denied him. With an evil smirk, Vegeta decided that first he would take his anger out on his midget opponent.

_-So can I have a volunteer?-_

Folding his arms as he glared down at his midget opponent, and subconsciously registering the sound of the gong, Vegeta barked, "Alright runt, I suggest you jump out of the ring so I'm not forced to hurt you. I'd rather save my energy for-" He cut off abruptly as he was struck in the face by a ki blast.

Grinning, Krillin replied, "Then maybe you should stop talking. You're wasting enough energy making hot air as it is."

_-There's no more time for crying over spilled milk-_

Smoking slightly, Vegeta growled, "You wretched, honourless piece of-" He cut off again as another ki blast flew towards his head, although this time he was fast enough to bat it away. A vein bulging in his forehead, he snarled, "Do you honestly think you can do tha-" He was cut off again by having to deflect a third blast. Steam almost visibly coming out of his ears, he screamed, "Stop doing that!"

_-Now it's time for crying in your beer-_

"Then stop flapping your gums and fight Vegeta," Krillin replied, already powering up another blast, "Nothing you say can scare me off, so put up or shut up."

Vegeta just scowled again, muttering, "Fine."

_-Settle down, raise a family, join the PTA-_

Krillin had no delusions that he could win this fight. He knew it was only a matter of time before Vegeta defeated him, and probably in a very painful fashion, but if there was one thing Krillin was not, he was not a quitter. He may not be able to win, but he would make his family proud by going down kicking. As Vegeta charged towards him, he hurled the blast in his hand, forcing Vegeta to pause again to swat it away, and giving him the time he needed.

_-Buy some sensible shoes and a Chevrolet-_

Fanning his hands on either side of his face, he closed his eyes, focusing ki into his forehead before shouting, "Solar Flare!" With this exclamation, a brilliant white light burst forth, and Vegeta, by then, was close enough to cop the light at point blank range. Taking a moment to grin in triumph, he quickly dove out of the way as Vegeta blindly lashed out at where he'd been, lowering his ki enough to give Vegeta a hard time finding him without the use of his eyes.

_-Then party 'till you're broke and they drive you away-_

"What the hell is Krillin doing?" Gohan asked incredulously.

"Signing his own death certificate apparently," Kaen replied.

Gohan just shook her head, "He knows he has no chance of winning."

"Maybe so Gohan," Pi cut in, "But answer me this: as a warrior, would you give up, even if you knew you couldn't win the fight?"

_-It's OK, you can dare to be stupid-_

Before the younger Saiyan could answer, there was a fairly loud explosion, followed by a lot of smoke. Jumping a little at the noise, Kaen quickly pushed Pi behind him, charging a blast in his other hand, and Gohan moved to protect Videl from whatever it was, but neither need have bothered. Out of the smoke stepped first a white cape, which was soon revealed to be wrapped around a brown gi, topped by a massive black Afro.

_-It's like spitting on a fish-_

Throwing the cape behind him, the man, revealed to be none other than Hercule Satan, threw up his hands, giving his traditional 'V for victory' pose, and bellowing, "Oh yeah, who's the man?"

_-It's like barking up a tree-_

The sound of silence was deafening; a veritable cone of silence descended on all those assembled, even drowning out the sound of the crowd. In the end, it was Videl that spoke first, groaning, "Dad, you are _such_ an embarrassment..."

Tossing an idea around in his head, and, subconsciously tossing and catching the red ball of ki in his hand, Kaen finally broke into a grin, sending the fireball Hercule's way with a flick of his wrist, and catching the corner of his cape on fire.

_-It's like I said you gotta buy one if you wanna get one free-_

Quickly tearing the cape off from around his shoulders and hurling it as far away as he could, Hercule shouted, "What did you do that for you little punk?"

An eyebrow twitching in irritation, he was spared Kaen's wrath by Videl muttering, "You looked like an idiot with the cape anyway..." as she turned her attention back to the fight.

_-Dare to be stupid (yes)-_

Vegeta swung wildly again, trying to make contact with the annoying pest of a human that dared blind him. When that venture failed, he growled out, "When my vision returns, I am going to RIP YOUR EYES OUT!" He lashed out blindly again, his anger getting the better of him for a moment, before he heard something.

_-Why don't you dare to be stupid?-_

Ducking under another of Vegeta's punches, Krillin had to fight back a snicker; the situation was just too funny. Here, before him, was one of the strongest beings in existence, yet Krillin had kept this fight going for several minutes now; an amazing feat, to be sure.

_-It's so easy to do / Dare to be stupid-_

Vegeta fought the urge to smirk. In his anger, he had almost forgotten that he didn't need his eyes to find his opponent; he still had his ears. That damnable human runt was still being too quiet though, so he opted to try something new; he was going to make him laugh. Stealing a line he'd read somewhere - Kami alone knew where he'd picked it up - he shouted, "You are annoying, like shit-eating horsefly!" (1)

It had the desired effect.

_-We're all waiting for you / Dare to be stupid-_

Hearing Vegeta scream that line, Krillin couldn't help it. Even slapping both hands over his mouth, he couldn't help the series of laughs that escaped, and the second he started laughing, he noticed Vegeta whip around in his direction, before he was neatly folded around Vegeta's fist, the flesh-wrapped steel slamming into his stomach. His breath leaving him in a rush, he flew through the air for a moment before landing harshly on the grass outside of the ring. Vegeta had won, as the announcer declared, with a single punch.

_-Burn your candle at both ends-_

Hercule Satan didn't notice that the match outside had been concluded. He didn't even notice there _was_ a match going on outside. He only noticed one thing, and he didn't like it, a fact he made known by bellowing, "What are you doing around my daughter you punk? Videl, I thought I've told you that you can't have a boyfriend unless he's stronger than me, and no one's stronger than me."

He was about to burst into one of his annoying horse-laughs when Pi commented casually, "Actually Herk, I think everyone in this room scored higher than you, 'cept maybe that Jewel guy."

_-Look a gift horse in the mouth-_

Steam could almost be seen coming out of Videl's ears, as she started to say, "Dad, Gohan in _not-_"

Before she could finish, the boy in question placed a hand on her shoulder, commenting, "Vi, let me handle it." When she didn't object he walked forward, his normally peaceful features contorting into a vicious glare the second Videl could no longer see his face; he grinned coldly as he noticed Hercule fighting the urge to flee like a rabbit that's just laid eyes on the wolf.

_-Mashed potatoes can be your friends-_

Gohan didn't stop his walk forward until he and Hercule were almost nose-to-nose. Leaning in to whisper in his ear, and angling his voice low, so that Videl didn't hear what he said, he growled out, "You listen here Satan, and you listen well. I know _all_ your dirty little secrets, including the truth about how you've treated Videl, and I'm not impressed. You better prey to any Kami that will listen to you that we don't meet in the ring. I have seven years worth of repressed aggression to work out." Taking a step back, he made his eyes flash teal briefly, but not so briefly that Hercule missed it, before turning on his heel and striding away.

_-You can be a coffee achiever-_

While normally watching Hercule splutter and gape like a fish would have amused Kaen greatly, he knew that what the blowhard was trying to say was something along the lines of 'You're the boy that beat Cell,' and as much as he wanted Videl to know the truth - and as soon as possible - he knew said truth had to come from Gohan, so he decided to change the subject, knowing Hercule's pea-sized brain could only process so much at once. "Hey Jerkule," Kaen jibbed, "You're up; time to make a mockery of yourself. You wouldn't want to let your bleating sheep down."

_-You can sit around the house and watch Leave It To Beaver-_

His mouth snapping shut, Hercule spun in Kaen's direction, ready to give the 'young punk' a few choice words, but a sudden flash in the flame-haired teen's eyes changed his mind. Instead, he drew himself up, puffing out his chest and replying, "Yeah, I better get out there. The people came here to see a _real_ champ." With that, 'the champ' strode off as fast as he could without looking like he was fleeing in terror, to get ready for his 'grand entrance'.

_-The future's up to you / So what you gonna do?-_

**"Thanks man,"** Gohan said, breathing a sigh of relief.

Kaen just shrugged, **"No prob. I know she needs to hear it from you."** He paused, giving Gohan a pointed look, before adding, **"You _are_ going to tell her soon aren't you?"**

He nodded, **"As soon as the tournament's over."**

**"Well it can't come soon enough,"** Pi muttered a touch bitterly.

_-Dare to be stupid / Dare to be stupid-_

There was another series of explosions, as more pyrotechnics went off, heralding Hercule's arrival on stage. Piccolo just spat sourly, "This tournament's really gone downhill."

_-What did I say/ Dare to be stupid-_

"It has a bit hasn't it?" Goku mused. "It never used to have all the press. And cameras. And advertising. And..."

_-Tell me, what did I say/ Dare to be stupid-_

"Oh yeah! Who's the man?" Hercule shouted, to the roar of the crowd. He continued posturing and posing for several more minutes, much to the disgust of the fighters backstage.

_-It's alright / Dare to be stupid-_

"Well, I'm done," Kaen muttered, walking away to sit down against the wall, ironically winding up where Trunks had whiled away Goten's first match, "That's more than enough hot air for one day."

_-We can be stupid all night / Dare to be stupid-_

"I couldn't agree more," Pi commented, walking over to where he sat, and flopping down in his lap. Resting her head against his chest, she yawned, "Wake me up when something good comes on."

_-Come on, join the crowd / Dare to be stupid-_

"Aren't you even going to watch the match?" Videl asked disbelievingly, "I mean, you might learn... some..." She trailed off as she realised both what she was going to say, and who she was saying it to. 'Damn, this is taking a lot of effort to get used to,' Pi groused to herself.

_-Shout it out loud / Dare to be stupid-_

Despite the fact she hadn't finished the thought, Kaen snorted, "Girl, the day I learn any moves from Hercule is the day I give up fighting forever."

_-I can't hear you / Dare to be stupid-_

"Don't worry Videl," Gohan said soothingly, laying a hand on her shoulder, "I know how hard it is getting used to the fact your father isn't the strongest person alive." He finished by giving his own father a pointed look.

_-OK, I can hear you now / Dare to be stupid-_

Goku just rubbed the back of his head, letting out a nervous laugh as he said, "Hey, come on. I know I could have chosen a better way to do it and all, but..."

_-Let's go, dare to be stupid / Dare to be stupid-_

"No Goku," Piccolo drawled sarcastically, "You don't say? There was a better way you could have told your, at the time, only son that all our hope rested on his shoulders?"

_-Dare to be stupid / Dare to be stupid-_

"Look, just give it a rest you two," Gohan sighed exasperatedly, "It was seven years ago, I'm sorry I brought it up." Even now, Piccolo still harboured ill will towards his father for what happened at the Cell Games

_-Dare to be stupid / Dare to be stupid-_

"What are they talking about Gohan?" Videl asked curiously, completely ignoring the debacle of a fight going on in the arena.

_-Dare to be stupid-_

"Just... an old grudge Videl," Gohan sighed; he _really_ didn't want to have to explain this to her just yet. He heard a roar from the crowd outside; Hercules match was over.

_-Dare to be stupid!-_

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

I honestly never expected this chapter to turn out so long... All I wanted was to have it contain 2 short fights, and the commencement of a third I had no plans of writing about, and it turned into this...

In other news, this update almost didn't happen today, due to a series of personal delays, but I managed to get it done. However, I have now run out of pre-written chapters, so I've got to pull my finger out and finish the next few chapters. Rest assured though, they will be done on time, come hell or high water.

(1) This line is lifted from Sinfest


	8. C08: God of the Mind

--- Disturbance, Book 1: Convergence ---

Chapter C08 - God of the Mind

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-Na Ha-nha-_

"Kami, doesn't he ever stop..." Kaen grunted sourly, banging his head lightly against the wall behind him. Over five minutes had passed since Hercule had won his match against Jewel, and he was still out there showboating to the crowd, roaring in victory, and generally making a spectacle of himself. Fortunately for Kaen's continued sanity - and the safety of the people out in the stadium - Pi was still lying against his chest, taking a short nap; or, at the very least, feigning one.

"I have to agree with him Vi," Gohan commented, asking, "How do you live with him? Is he always on like this?"

_-Get in, get in, get in, get into now-_

Grinning wryly, Videl replied, "To answer your second question: yes, he _is_ always on. But as for the first question, the answer is I don't, for the most part; dad's gone more often than not, so I generally don't really have to 'live' with him. I think I only see him, on average, two weeks out of every month at the most, and even then, he tends to use that time to either remind me that 'he's the champ', or to bitch me out about something in my life, because, Kami forbid I ruin his reputation..."

Seeing how worked up she was getting, Gohan walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her from behind, remarking soothingly, "It's okay Videl. I guarantee you that things will change for the better after this tournament, one way or another."

_-Get in, get into, come take over me-_

Before anyone could comment at the moving scene - and Krillin was practically frothing at the mouth to do so - the announcer finally called time on Hercule's antics, shouting, "And now for the fourth elimination match. Can we have Number Eighteen and Mighty Mask to the arena?"

As the two mentioned competitors exited the fighters lounge, the mock-sleeping Pi commented telepathically to her mate, _"How long do you think it'll take her to figure out Mighty Mask is Goten and Trunks?"_

_-Get in, get in, get in, get into now-_

The corner of his mouth twitched, as he fought a grin. _"Five minutes. At least."_

Pi had to fight a grin of her own. _"I'll take that bet."_

_-Get in, get into, come take over me-_

Casting her eye over her opponent, as the pair awaited the gong, Eighteen thought to herself 'There's something unusual about this guy. I can't get an accurate reading on him. It's almost like-'

Whatever it was 'almost like' would have to wait, as the second the gong was struck Mighty Mask charged towards her, and, for such a skinny, clumsy, and uncoordinated person, his punches were surprisingly strong, fast, and accurate. She quickly brought her arms up to block, with only one punch having made contact, but she was thrown on the defensive instantly.

_-Get in, get in, get in, get into now-_

This didn't sit well with her. Deciding to make best use of the fact she had a longer reach than he did, she leapt back a bit as he threw his next punch, forcing him to overextend himself, and leaving him wide open. Pressing the advantage, Eighteen spun around and struck him on the side of the head with a back kick; surprisingly, he didn't start staggering around, although his torso did waver from side to side. Before he could recover, she sped forward and leapt into a back flip, kicking him under the chin with both feet, and sending him sailing into the air.

With a burst of ki, Eighteen followed her opponent skyward, striking him a few times around the chest while he was dazed, before, sending him back down to terra firma with an elbow to the back of the head. Rather than follow him down, however, she chose to remain in the air, to see what her opponent would do next.

_-Get in, get into, come take over me-_

"Ow..." Trunks whined, rubbing the back of his head, "That hurt..."

"Are you okay Trunks?" Goten asked; he vaguely realised they should try getting up, but Trunks seemed too distracted to mention it right now.

_-Get in, get in, get in, get into now-_

"Yeah I'm fine. She sure packs a mean punch though" Trunks replied, before turning angry, "And how come I'm doing all the work huh?"

Ever innocent, Goten just replied, "Coz I can't reach?"

_-Get on, get into like me-_

As the two levered themselves upright, Trunks muttered, "Well if you can land a kick I'll buy you a new toy or something..." Looking up at the floating Eighteen, he added, "You ready?"

Goten nodded, "Ready."

Trunks grinned behind the mask, "Then let's take this battle to the skies!"

_-Time, not having an easy time-_

Part of Eighteen was a little surprised when her opponent took to the skies after her - after all, the Z-Fighters tended to keep a short leash on anyone who could channel ki - but not too surprised to react. What did surprise her though, as she blocked the flurry of blows, was that his arms and legs seemed to attack independently. Grimacing, she thought to herself, 'This is impossible! Even with the best training around, you can't move your arms and legs completely independently to attack; there's always some sort of predictability. It's almost like-' Her earlier thought returned, although this time it was given the chance to finish, 'It's almost like he's two people.'

_-Never gonna have an easy time-_

Grinning to herself with this revelation, her sharp eyes began taking in details she'd missed before; a flash of lavender hair underneath the mask, the now-obvious eye holes around the stomach of the white costume. Breaking away, and floating back a few feet, Eighteen called out, "This has been fun, but I think it's time you let me win now, Trunks and Goten."

_-Given the run around to me-_

"Oh man," Trunks cried out, "She sussed us out!"

"Whadda we do now Trunks?" Goten asked.

"Um... I..." Trunks stumbled to come up with a solution.

_-I can feel it coming around again-_

Taking advantage of their confusion, Eighteen charged forward again, charging ki in her hand and throwing her arm forward, releasing her version of her husband's Destructo Disk technique. In their panic, Trunks tried to go one way, and Goten tried to go the other. The result: the razor-sharp ki disk severed cleanly through the costume, cutting it in half, and revealing the two boys.

The two boys cast a glance at each other with wide-eyed surprise, letting out a simultaneous, "Busted!" Then, to the shouts of the announcer about how they were 'disqualified for being two people', the two troublemakers shot off, leaving the arena in the direction of the fighters resort and waiting area.

_-Time, a changing a wasting-_

"Damn," Kaen commented, surprising the group that had assembled in the entrance; they'd thought he and Pi were still resting against the wall. "I thought it'd take her longer than that to figure it out."

"Wait; you knew?" Vegeta barked. When Kaen just snorted, as if to say 'yeah, didn't you?' he added "Why in blazes didn't you say anything?"

_-Come and get up in my face again, yes-_

Kaen just smirked, "I told you before Vegeta, because I'm an asshole."

"How the hell did you not notice Vegeta? He's your own son," Pi remarked teasingly.

_-Time, given the run around to me-_

"Someone should probably go round those two up before they cause any more trouble," Gohan commented.

Kaen just nodded, "Leave it to me."

_-And I'm not having an easy time-_

"Aw man, this totally sucks!" Trunks grumbled, pacing back and forth.

Goten just watched him lazily, leaning backwards against a nearby tree. The two kids were hiding in the foliage on the edge of the fighters waiting arena. "What's the big deal anyway Trunks?"

_-Never having an easy-_

The boy turned to stare at him like he'd grown three heads and seven tentacles. "What's the big idea? You're the one that said you wanted to fight in the Adult Division."

"No I'm not, you did," Goten corrected, "I just went along for the ride."

_-You know this time it has never gone easy-_

Before Trunks could comment on that, an authoritative voice declared, "Aha! There you two are."

Purely on reflex, the older boy started to take off, shouting, "Run Goten!"

_-Time never having an easy-_

"Freeze!" The voice, revealed to be Kaen, demanded, and the pair of them halted mid-step. As they turned to face him, he folded his arms across his chest, he barked, "Right brats, haul in. Since you two clearly can't be left alone for five minutes without causing trouble, you're coming with me back to the fighter's lounge; you obviously need adult supervision."

_-You'll never meet another like me-_

Trying to put up a rebellious front, Trunks huffed, "And if we refuse?"

Kaen just smirked evilly, unfolding his arms, as he charged a ki ball in one hand. "You're coming with me, conscious or otherwise."

_-Get in, get into, like me, like me-_

"How long do you think it'll take him to get the kids?" Krillin asked rhetorically. The group of fighters stood around idly as they waited for the flame-haired young man to return. To help alleviate problems with the crowd, the tournament was set up with a series of strategic half-hour interludes every four rounds, to allow people time to visit the facilities or purchase snacks, so they had nothing but time until that was over.

"I think the real question is, how roughed up will they be when he brings them back?" Gohan corrected with a grin.

_-Get in, get into, like me, like me-_

A mild smirk on his face, Vegeta replied, "Boy needs to knock the brats out. That'll keep them out of trouble."

"Why Veggie," an incoming voice declared, "I do believe that's child abuse."

_-Get in, get into, lie to me, like me-_

Vegeta scowled as the voice revealed itself to be Kaen, the two boys walking calmly in front of him, looking completely unharmed; the pair had decided that cooperating was in their best interest. A vein bulging in his forehead, he growled out, "First of all, it's not abuse in _our_ country, they're Saiyan children, they should know better than to misbehave. Secondly, if they can't take it, then they aren't fit to live. Thirdly, and most importantly, you _will_ show me proper respect in public view; you may be my ambassador, but I am the Prince of all Saiyans, and you _will_ remember."

Kaen simply shook his head with a short grunt, muttering, "As you wish, my Prince," semi-sarcastically, and even going so far as to give a slightly formal, if not stiff bow, which as proper as it seemed, also radiated enough mockery to be obvious. This of course did little for Vegeta's mood, but then nothing really could appease the prince to begin with...

_-Get into like me, like-_

"Uh, excuse me," Videl's confused voice cut in, "Country? Saiyan? What are you guys talking about?" When no-one answered her, and in fact everyone seemed to be avoiding eye contact with her, she turned to Gohan, demanding, "Gohan, tell me what's going on! This isn't the first time I've heard the word 'Saiyan'; what exactly _are_ Saiyans?"

With a glare and a sour "Great job" in Vegeta's direction, Gohan took a deep breath, before sighing and saying, "Saiyans are a race of warriors that, until about ten years ago, were believed to be on the verge of extinction, after a galactic dictator wiped out their planet. However, the remnants of the race were gathered in secret and relocated here, where they've settled in to their own country."

_-Time, not having an easy time-_

Digesting this, Videl stated slowly, "So... These Saiyans are aliens?"

"In the sense that they came from a planet other than Earth, yes," Gohan replied, before adding, "But appearance wise they don't look much different from you and me." That got a round of snickers from Kaen, Pi, Goku, and Krillin; even Vegeta and Piccolo smirked a bit at that line.

_-Never gonna have an easy time-_

The gears turning in her head, Videl started, "So... Obviously Vegeta is a Saiyan, because he's the prince, right?" When Vegeta nodded, she moved on. "And he said Kaen was his ambassador, so I assume Kaen is a Saiyan too." Another nod, this time from the younger of the two flame-haired men. "This logically means Pi's one as well." The girl in question grinned. Returning her attention to Gohan, she finished, "So, Gohan; are _you_ a Saiyan? And what makes Saiyans different from humans, if they don't look 'much' different?"

_-Given the run around to me-_

Clearing his throat, Gohan replied, "Well, to answer your second question, Saiyans vary in appearance almost as much as humans do, but there are some similarities between them. All Saiyans have dark hair, usually black, that stands up on end, like it's had an entire jar of gel run through it. Note, as in the case of Pi, it doesn't always stand straight, but there's still spikes. Also, for the most part their hair doesn't change from birth, except to grow with them; obviously this is a generalisation, but at most, within six months they've got a full head of hair, and a haircut that lasts them a lifetime. A less noticeable feature is that Saiyans generally have pure black eyes, or near enough to. Lastly, unless they've had it removed for whatever reason, all Saiyans have a furry brown prehensile tail."

_-I can feel it coming around again-_

Videl nodded to herself as the points processed, but her brain ground to a screeching halt at the last one. "Wait; tail?" Spinning around to face the three known Saiyans, she noticed Kaen and Pi's tails revealing themselves from their hiding positions: underneath their belts; Vegeta, however, had no need to reveal his, so she spun back to Gohan and asked, "How come I've never noticed their tails before?"

_-Time, a changing a wasting-_

Gohan shrugged, "Two reasons. One, Kaen and Pi tend to keep their tails hidden for the most part, seeing as how they have quite a bit of contact with human society. Two, humans - or should I say Earthlings, because there are humans on other planets - have lead a sheltered upbringing, with little to no contact with non-humans. This has lead to an almost genetic selective vision, where they can't notice things they don't expect to see unless it's expressly brought to their attention. Once they know it's there, however, it's hard to miss."

_-Come and get up in my face again, yes-_

She nodded again, "Alright Gohan, I can accept that, but you still didn't answer my first question; are _you_ a Saiyan?"

Gohan just shrugged again, grinned, and replied flippantly, "Kinda."

Videl stomped her foot angrily, shouting, "'Kinda'? You can't 'kinda' be a different race Gohan; you're either human or Saiyan. It's black or white."

_-Time, given the run around to me-_

"Actually Vi, I'm a shade of grey," Gohan replied calmly, "I am the first Demi-Saiyan; half human, half Saiyan."

"Oh." That comment mollified Videl a bit.

"Yup. My father was Saiyan - although he didn't know that until I was four - but my mother is human."

_-And I'm not having an easy time-_

When Videl failed to respond to his last statement, Gohan figured the conversation was over, but before he could turn away from her, she asked, "Um, Gohan, you're a half-breed right?" When he nodded, she continued, "Uh... Well, can you still... I mean, is it possible... Damn, this is so hard..." Looking up, and seeing his encouraging face, she blurted out, "Aren't half-breeds usually sterile?"

_-Never having an easy-_

Gohan froze; he had never considered that possibility, and given his mother's zealous desire for grandchildren, it could prove to be a massive problem. Before true panic could settle in, however, Kaen cleared his throat and declared, "I'll field this question." Stepping forward, and turning to face the human girl, he continued in a lecturing tone, "While usually you would be quite correct, Demi-Saiyans are a very unique case genetically for two reasons. The first is that, for reasons unknown, the birth rate of males to females tends to average out at three-to-one; that is, on average three males are born for every female. This, obviously, presents a problem."

_-You know this time it has never gone easy-_

He paused, turning to stare at Vegeta, before continuing, "Now, while some elitists believed in strict bloodline control, regulated such that only the strongest won the rite to breed, many of the lower class were less picky, choosing to find partners with other races. When the child was born, it, like all Saiyan children, would be tested for potential, and if the child's potential was good, the family was allowed to live and raise their child; if not, the lot of them tended to be killed on sight. The exception to this was if the child was female, at which point the child would be allowed to live, but would rank as the lowest class for life. To put it bluntly, beggars can't be choosers."

_-Time never having an easy-_

"What does this have to do with anything?" Videl interrupted.

Kaen just gave her a level stare, "I'm getting to that. Long story short, Saiyan genes are just as strong as we are, and a Saiyan having a child with pretty much any race produces a Saiyan. Additionally, half-breed Saiyans are often stronger initially than pure breeds, depending on species; while some species weaken the bloodline, others seem to remove the power limiters, occasionally resulting in vast wells of strength and/or stamina. On the flip side, human DNA is remarkably weak. If we relate cross species pairings as multiplication, human DNA is equal to one; that is, you cross anything with human DNA, and you get what you started with. Two times one equals two.

_-You'll never meet another like me-_

He paused, thinking it through, before amending, "Well, that's not entirely true. I guess a better analogy would be using addition, where human DNA is equal to a fraction; the sum changes the final result, but not by much."

Taking a moment to digest this, Videl asked, "So, basically, Saiyans always produce Saiyans, and humans produce whatever they breed with?"

"Exactly."

_-Get in, get into, like me, like me-_

"How do you know all this?" Videl asked, amazed, "I mean, no offence, but you don't exactly strike me as the academic type."

"None taken," Kaen shrugged, "I know someone in the City who's doing research into genetics and biochemistry." This, Vegeta knew, was bullshit, because he always kept himself up-to-date on all research going on in the City; after all, he funded a great deal of research projects. How Kaen knew, exactly, was something he obviously didn't want anyone to know.

_-Get in, get into, like me, like me-_

Casting an eye over the two kids, he added, "Now, obviously some genetic lines are stronger than others. Goku's lineage appears to contain remarkably dominant genes, at least as far as appearance goes, as Gohan and Goten look very much like their father, as Goku himself did his own father." Giving a shit-eating grin to Vegeta, he finished, "Vegeta's lineage, however, seems to have very recessive genes for appearance, as Trunks looks like his mother. Must be due to all the inbreeding..."

_-Get in, get into, lie to me, like me-_

Videl gaped, as Vegeta fumed. Snapping her jaw shut, Videl asked weakly, "Inbreeding?"

Kaen just kept grinning, "Royal family. 'Nuff said."

_-Get into like me, like-_

Before the situation could turn violent, and judging by the vein bulging in Vegeta's forehead is was only a hair's breadth away from happening, the announcer declared, "Welcome back ladies and gentlemen, and thank you for your patience. And now, for the next match, can we have Kibito and Gohan?"

A competitive smirk settling onto his face, Gohan commented, "Well, looks like I'm up." With that, he headed towards the entrance and waited for Kibito to get there.

_-Get Ready-_

"You know what to do Kibito," Shin muttered quietly.

"Yes," the red-skinned man replied, walking off, "It shall be done."

_-Time never gonna die-_

Gohan cast a critical eye over his opponent as he awaited the sound of the gong. Up to this point Kibito had not said a word, as far as he knew. 'Gotta be careful around the strong, silent types,' He mused to himself, remembering some of Piccolo's old advice, 'They're either really weak but overconfident, or really strong. Either way, they're dangerous.'

_-You want a Deity like me-_

Bowing to his opponent as the gong was struck, Gohan fell into a fairly loose stance, but Kibito remained as he was, merely standing there looking a strange combination of serious and bored. Clenching his fists, Gohan shouted, "Did you come here to fight, or to waste time?"

_-Never gonna give into me-_

Kibito didn't answer the question, at least not right away. After a few moments of tense silence, he spoke, in a fairly deep, booming voice, "Gohan, I am curious about your Super Saiyan powers. Show them to me; we may be able to use them."

"What!" A shocked Gohan shouted.

_-You want a God-_

"I knew it!" Kaen crowed, "I knew we couldn't trust them."

"But how do they know so much about Gohan?" Goku asked quizzically.

Pi answered for him, "We're not sure yet. All we know for certain is that Shin and Kibito are up to something."

_-But you're never gonna give into me-_

Gritting his teeth, Gohan shouted, "What do you mean 'we may be able to use them'?"

"You'll know more in time. Show me your Super Saiyan powers now!" Kibito demanded.

_-Want a Deity like me-_

"So, you want to see my Super Saiyan powers do you?" Gohan mock-asked. When Kibito nodded, the Demi-Saiyan teen disappeared, reappearing directly in front of the red giant of a man. Taking not-so-secret delight in the look of shock on Kibito's face, Gohan slammed his fist into his opponent's chest, sending him flying out of the ring, before giving chase and sending him into the grass with an elbow drop. Landing effortlessly on the edge of the ring, Gohan commented, "Sorry Kibito, I don't transform for weaklings. I need to save my strength for the semi-finals." The match won, he calmly walked off to rejoin his friends, giving no more attention to Kibito.

_-Time, get it, get it-_

"So what's the deal with Kibito and Shin?" Gohan asked, sounding a lot calmer than he was. "I mean, not just anyone would know I'm a Super Saiyan."

_-Time, is just another God Of The Mind-_

"Honestly, Gohan, I have no idea what their deal is," Kaen sighed, "I know I've seen beings something like them before, but can't think for the life of me where. All I know are three things: one, they're not from anywhere in this galaxy; two, they've got an agenda, and whatever they're here for, it doesn't bode well; and three, they can't be trusted."

_-Time, get it, get it-_

"And how do you know this?" Vegeta asked mockingly; he was still fuming about the 'inbreeding' crack, plus the fact Kaen was hiding his sources.

_-Time, is just another God Of The Mind-_

Kaen just gave him a level stare, "Because I've met them before, or if not them in particular, someone very much like them. Unfortunately, my memory is a little scrambled from a near-death experience a while ago, so you'll forgive me for not knowing where."

_-Time, never having an easy-_

"What happened Kibito?" Shin asked calmly.

Kibito just grunted, "The boy refused to co-operate."

Shin nodded, like he'd expected that. "No matter. I am confident I will be the one to fight him in the semi-finals. We will get our chance then."

_-You know this time it has never gone easy-_

"So what are we going to do?" Videl asked; this was a new world for her, and she wasn't planning on missing a moment of it.

Hearing the announcer's cry for the next contestants, Gohan grinned, replying, "Right now, you have a match against Spopovich."

_-Time, never having an easy-_

"As for those two, for now, we wait," Pi added gravely, before grinning, "Good luck in your match."

Videl took a deep breath, turned towards the arena, and began walking. "Okay Videl. Showtime."

_-You'll never meet another like me-_

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

And here we have chapter 8, the second chapter to be written without a song in mind. I realised, as I was uploading this chapter, that I hadn't yet explained my reasoning for the first half of the tournament, and why I wasn't satisfied with the line-up.

The toughest parts of deciding who fought who were finding opponents for Vegeta and Goku. For reasons that, if they aren't obvious now, will become very obvious later, I couldn't have the pair fight each other, which meant either one of them had to be eliminated in the first round. Now, there are only three fighters - well, four at a stretch - that could have eliminated either of them: Gohan, Kaen, Pi, and maybe Piccolo.

Now, pretty much the entire second half of the line-up was already decided, again for reasons that should or will become obvious, so that left Pi being the one to knock them from the competition. From there, I figured Goku would be the easier one to eliminate first, seeing as how there had been a lot of food involved earlier. Pairing Vegeta and 18 would have been a complete disaster, and I wanted Hercule to get past at least one round, so that left Vegeta fighting Krillin.

Well, there you have it. Next chapter, Videl squares off against Spopovich. Don't miss it; the tournament is finally getting good.

EDIT (8/4/07): I found a song suitable for this chapter, so I added it in.


	9. C09: Decadence

--- Disturbance, Book 1: Convergence ---

Chapter C09

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_-Say, yes they know that you've hurt yourself another time-_

"Wait a minute Videl!" A voice called out to her moments before she could reach the doorway. Turning around, she noticed Kaen approaching, a grim expression on his face. "Can I have a word in private?"

She looked around the room, noticing that Spopovich seemed to be taking his time, so she nodded, replying, "Okay, but make it quick."

He grinned, although the gesture seemed forced, "Quick huh? Then I'll just right to the chase." Dropping the grin, he continued, "Videl, I know you and I aren't exactly friends, but you are important to Pi, Kat, and Gohan, so I feel I have to tell you that you can not win this match."

"What?" the girl exclaimed, loud enough to draw the other's attention, before lowering her voice again to add, "Why do you say that? It's just Spopovich. I mean, my dad took him down in the first round last tournament, and as you guys have been telling me all day, I'm stronger than dad, so-"

"Listen girl," Kaen interrupted, "You have no idea what you're getting into here. This isn't Spopovich anymore, at least not the Spopovich your dad defeated, or the Spopovich I raced; I'm not sure he even qualifies as human anymore, such is his... augmentation."

Crossing her arms, she scowled, "If what you're saying is true, then why aren't Gohan and the others so worried?"

"Because they haven't met people with this... augmentation before," Kaen shot back, "Whereas Pi and I have."

_-Don't they know that you're full of pain already?-_

Taking a deep breath, she nodded, accepting his advice, before replying, "Be that as it may, I still have my warrior's pride; I'm not going to forfeit the match."

He grinned wryly, commenting, "We'll make a Saiyan out of you yet..." Shaking his head, he held up his hands in a defeated manner, adding, "I realise now that nothing I can say will stop you fighting." Placing a hand on her shoulder, he advised, "Just remember one thing: a true warrior knows when to fight, and when to run. Pride means nothing if you're dead." He grinned again, giving her one last comment, "And keep in mind there's no shame in winning by ringing your opponent out in the first few minutes."

She smiled back, replying with a nod, "I'll keep that in mind." Noticing Spopovich finally making his appearance, she took a step back, commenting, "Well, time to see just how true your words were," as she turned and strode off into the arena.

_-Yes they know that you've hurt yourself another time-_

As Kaen strode back to the group, Gohan shot him a wry look, asking semi-jokingly, "What was that all about? You hittin' on my girl?"

The older Saiyan just snorted, "In _your_ wet dreams boy. Just giving her a few tips, one fighter to another. Kami knows we can't have her relying on a rookie like _you_."

Vegeta scoffed, "And what useful advice could you possibly give a weakling human girl like her?"

Kaen just glared at him, sighing, "Vegeta, you don't live through as many life-or-death situations as I did without learning how to take down stronger opponents."

"And what makes you think Videl's so outgunned?" Goku asked; he hadn't really been around Kaen long enough to form a real opinion of the older-but-younger fighter.

Kaen just smirked. "Experience."

_-Decadence isn't easy, is it?-_

"Videl! Go get 'em girl!" Erasa shouted, standing up in her seat to wave at her friend. She realised the girl probably couldn't see her all the way up in the stands, but that's not why one shouts support now is it?

"Huh, I betcha this guy doesn't even make it five seconds." Sharpner commented, before adding, "I still can't believe that show-off Gohan made it through to the quarter finals."

Erasa just smirked at him as she sat back down, "You're just jealous of his talent, and pissed off because he mopped the floor with you during our martial arts unit at school."

The blonde-haired boy's indignant cries of "He did not!" were drowned out by the carousing of some of Satan City's finest, giving Videl their full support.

_-Yes they know that you've hurt yourself another time-_

Watching Videl walk out to the arena, waving to the crowd all the while, and listening to the crowd's roar of support, Chichi commented, "Sounds like Gohan's girlfriend has quite a few fans."

"Sure does," Bulma agreed.

"What, Gohan's girlfriend?" Yamcha asked, slightly amazed.

"Well, _they_ claim they're just friends, but a mother knows," Chichi replied sagely, before switching over to bubbly with the flick of an invisible switch, adding, "She's a perfect match for Gohan!"

"Sure, if you overlook the fact that Mister Satan's her dad," Bulma spat.

Yamcha burst out laughing, "Mister Satan is her dad? Well that makes things interesting."

The adults fell quiet as the group of teens behind them began shouting their own cheers for Videl, but among them, Kat was oddly silent.

_-Don't they know that you're full of pain already?-_

Videl glared over at the giant of a man that was her opponent. At around five feet, Videl wasn't exactly tall against a regular fighter, but against the seven-foot tall, four hundred pound Spopovich, she looked positively tiny. Still, she refused to allow herself to be intimidated by his size; after all, as the saying went, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Nonetheless, she was going to take Kaen's advice seriously, and ring him out first available chance.

The second the gong was struck Videl took off, rocketing towards her opponent at top speed. Bringing her right knee up mid-flight, she swung her left leg around, her yellow-booted foot impacting the side of his face with the full force of her momentum, and sending him flying backwards a few feet. Touching ground for a second, she took off after him, driving her elbow into his gut. Before he could recover, the started laying into him with a series of fast-but-weak blows, many of which he began blocking once he regained motor functions, but by then she leapt into the air, sending him flying towards the edge of the ring with a second kick to the side of his head.

_-Yes they know that you've hurt yourself another time-_

The fight wasn't over just yet however, as Spopovich proved to be heavier than he looked, only skipping across the tiles twice before landing solidly, his head still about half a foot away from the ring's edge. Sprinting over to the fallen fighter, the announcer shouted, "Spopovich is down, and from the looks of things he's down for good! I'll start the count." No sooner had he said that, however, when Spopovich sat up again, climbing back to his feet.

Before she could press forward to drive him over the edge, the pale, veined giant of a man charged towards her, and she was forced on the defensive, blocking each of his punches with one of her own, as he slowly drove her backwards. After a brief respite, he charge towards her, aiming to grab the girl in a potentially crushing bear hug, but she just slid under his legs, sending him sprawling again with a jumping kick to the face as he spun back to face her.

_-Decadence isn't easy, is it?-_

Spopovich climbed back to his feet again, and again charged towards her. This time, however, Videl simply ducked his arms, grabbed his wrestling tights, and ran him backwards, before throwing him over her with a classic Judo flip. However, once again Spopovich proved to be heavier than he looked, as he landed on his neck well before the edge of the arena, before flopping onto the tiled ground.

Panting slightly, Videl thought to herself, 'Man, this guy just keeps going. I think I'm starting to believe Kaen; I might not be able to win this thing.' That thought was reaffirmed as the brute climbed to his feet again, much to the shock of the announcer. Gritting her teeth, she charged for her opponent again, and the two launched a flurry of deflected blows against each other before, with a series of powerful blows, Videl sent Spopovich back to the mat again.

"And Spopovich takes another fall!" the announcer declared, "I think you'll all agree that young Videl really packs a punch!"

_-Then you slowly recall all your mind-_

"Yeah Videl!" Erasa shouted, standing in her seat again, as she waved one hand in the air frantically, cupping the other to the side of her mouth to amplify her voice.

A grin on his face, Sharpner added, "Keep it up girl!"

-Why, your soul's gone cold, and all hope has run dry-

"Videl will make a great wife for Gohan," Chichi announced cheerfully.

Smiling slightly, Bulma quipped, "Yeah, and it looks like she won't have any problem keeping him in line."

Chichi turned to her long-time friend, a massive smile on her face, "So you agree! I _knew_ that you would. We've _got_ to get those two married!"

_-Dead inside-_

As the two women started laughing excitedly, Yamcha felt the need to play Devil's Advocate, saying, "Hold on! Has Gohan even met Mister Satan yet?"

"Yup!" a cheery young voice interjected, "'Bout a couple hours ago." Turning to face the speaker, Kat, Yamcha noticed a grin spread across her face as she added, "He sure made a lasting first impression, that's for sure."

"How do you know that?" the retired fighter asked; having not spent much time around the time travellers, he was finding them quite interesting.

The redhead just tapped the side of her head, replying, "Kaen's keeping me informed of what's going on back stage." What she didn't tell the others were the instructions Kaen gave her, 'just in case' he'd said. 'Don't worry 'Del,' the girl thought to herself, 'I've got your back.'

_-Never enough to forget that you're one of the lonely-_

As Spopovich climbed to his feet once again, Videl, having regained her breath, cried incredulously, "You're kidding!" Keeping her forced-calm gaze locked on her opponent, she thought to herself 'Doesn't he know when to give in?' Her earlier thoughts about the hopelessness of the fight started returning. As Spopovich charged towards her, she growled to herself, "Time to end this! Now!"

Mere seconds before he got within striking distance of her she leapt into the air, driving her right boot into his face, and reversing his momentum on a dime. As he reeled backwards, she spun in mid-air, driving her elbow into his chest, and causing him to skip across the tile again. The second her feet touched ground she charged forward, knowing Spopovich would be climbing to his feet, and drove her fist into his unprotected gut several times, before finishing him off by kneeing him under his chin.

As Spopovich ate tile once again, Videl struggled to catch her breath, thinking to herself, 'Shit, I'm running low on energy... I can't keep this up much longer. If he doesn't stay down this time, I could be in a lot of trouble...'

No sooner had she thought that Spopovich climbed back to his feet, chuckling darkly as he strode calmly towards her. Dropping into her fighting stance, she was surprised by the brute's speed as he connected his first blow, a painful right hook to her temple, the force of which caused her to slam her head into the tile as she slid across the arena.

_-Slowly recall all your mind-_

**-/**

**The sickening sound of fist meeting face at high speed echoed down the stairwell, and she had to fight back a wince, as the sound was quickly followed by the thump of a body hitting the ground, and the hiss of said body sliding against the concrete. An angry voice growled, "Don't get smart with me boy! I told you not to let it turn inward; that no matter what happened in your life, you couldn't let it own you. True to my guess, something _did_ happen, and what did you do? YOU LET IT OWN YOU!"**

**"You just don't get it do you?" A second voice shouted angrily; obviously, the person struck. "He died because of _me_; Cell may have killed him, but his blood is on _my_ hands! And to make matters worse, his death was pointless; Cell came back, and stronger than before! Because of my mistake, Goten had to grow up without ever knowing his father, and kaasan had to raise him for _seven_ years without her husband."**

**"Big FUCKING deal!" The first voice shouted back, seeming angrier than before, and she almost swore she could feel the door shaking at his tone. "Get over yourself! Sure, you made one mistake. You cost one man his life, one woman her husband, two boys their father, and a dozen or so people their close friend; big deal! I made one mistake and I _crippled_ my WHOLE FUCKING RACE!"**

**\-**

_-Say, yes they know that you've hurt yourself another time-_

Fearing for her friend, Erasa gasped, "Oh no, Videl!"

"She's okay," Sharpner replied calmly, "I'm sure she can take a whole lot more than _that_.

_-Don't they know that you're full of pain already?-_

Dazed, Videl tried to climb to her feet, faltering from the ringing in her head and falling back to her knees. 'What the hell was that... I don't remember that happening!' Before she could ponder the issue further, Spopovich was upon her again, wrapping his hand around her throat as he lifted her off the ground; because his hands were so big, and her neck was so small, he wound up with only his middle two fingers around her neck, but his forefinger covered her mouth and nearly blocked her nose.

_-Yes they know that you've hurt yourself another time-  
-Decadence isn't easy, is it?-_

**-/ **

**A smug smile on her face, she commented, "The way I see things, you have two choices: one, train me, and keep your secrets secret; or two, don't train me, and watch your peaceful life crumble around you."**

**She heard a dark chuckle from behind her, as her companion replied, "You forgot the third choice..."**

**Spinning around to face the flame-haired man, she asked, "Oh really? What's the third choice?"**

**She felt her eyes widen in shock as he lunged towards her, his hand wrapping around her throat. Her back erupted into a world of pain as she felt it make rough contact with the metal lockers behind her, and the pain increased as the metal gave way. A sense of panic rising quickly, she lashed out with her legs, struggling to get free, but her panic only increased when her blows did nothing. Another dark chuckle coming from his mouth, Kaen commented, "I kill you, and all knowledge dies with you; believe me when I tell you, Miss Satan, that no jury on this world will convict me." **

**\-**

_-Yes they know that you've hurt yourself another time-  
-Don't they know that you're full of pain already?-_

Fighting off the second wave of... whatever it was, Videl grabbed hold of the Spopovich's arm, before swinging her right leg up and catching him under the chin. As he leaned back from the blow, his grip loosened, which gave her all the chance she needed. Wrenching herself free with a twist, she swung her legs up to catch hold of _his_ neck, using the momentum of her release to swing around him, before she used her momentum, and her powerful legs, to throw him backwards.

Unfortunately, she botched the landing, impacting the ground with her back instead of her hands or feet. By the time she'd gotten to her feet, Spopovich had already charged towards her again, growling all the while.

_-Yes they know that you've hurt yourself another time-  
-Decadence isn't easy...-_

**-/**

**"There's still something you're not telling us," an authoritative female voice declared, "Kaen would not have gone _this_ overboard for that. Now, what else did you do?"**

**She dropped to the ground, wrapping her arms around herself in preparation for the wrath she knew would soon be coming her way, trying to make herself as small a target as possible, before stuttering out fearfully, "I... Well, I tried to... blackmail him..."**

**"WHAT?" The voice shrieked, the body attached to it charging towards her; well, it would have, were it not for a second female trying to hold her back, and only just succeeding.**

**"Blackmail him into doing what?" A male voice asked calmly.**

**Turning to face the speaker, she replied defensively, "I didn't think it was that bad. I was just trying to get him to train me..."**

**A war cry rang up from the first voice as the older girl lunged for her, shouting, "Lemme go, I'm gonna kill her!"**

**\-**

_-Then you slowly recall all your mind-_

Before Videl could recover from the mental assault, Spopovich was upon her, sending her flying over the edge of the ring with a massive soccer kick. Refusing to go out like that, Videl focused on what Gohan had taught her, glowing slightly as she brought her ki out, and coming to rest floating two feet above the grass, to much amazement from the crowd; excluding the two boys in the Junior Division, Videl was the first person they'd seen flying today. Clenching her fists, she spun in the air and flew up above the ring.

_-Why, your soul's gone cold, and all hope has run dry-_

"Did you see that?" Sharpner demanded, his eyes almost falling out of his head.

In a similar state of shock, Erasa commented slowly, "I... think so."

_-Dead inside-_

"That a girl!" Gohan cheered, commenting to his father, "I taught her how to do that."

"Fool girl," Kaen growled to himself, "She should've let herself fall."

"What?" Krillin asked, "Why? She's winning."

Kaen just shook his head, "There's no way she can win this fight. Five, ten minutes ago? Maybe. Now? Not a chance."

"He's right," Goku added, his voice in battle-mode, "Look at him. There's no way Spopovich could withstand all of Videl's attacks and still continue to fight."

"Then what's his secret?" Krillin asked.

"I don't know," Goku replied, casting an eye Kaen's way, "But I'm going to find out."

_-Never enough to forget that-_

Landing calmly of the tiled arena floor, Videl dropped into her stance, waiting for Spopovich to make the first move, and she wasn't disappointed. Jumping back to avoid a haymaker, then again to avoid the follow-up kick, Videl grit her teeth, leaping towards him and spinning in mid-air to slam her foot into the side of his head. Landing, she took a few moments to catch her breath before properly looking at her opponent, whereupon her eyes bugged out of her head.

"What the!" the announcer shouted in near panic; Spopovich's head was on backwards. Raising the microphone again with a shaky hand, he declared, "Spopovich's head is spun completely around!" As Spopovich's body fell backwards, Videl slumped to her knees, defeated. A resigned tone to his voice, the announcer commented, "Well, that's it. Videl has clearly beaten her opponent, but I'm afraid she _will_ be disqualified for using excessive force; those are the rules."

Her head shooting up in surprise, Videl noticed Spopovich's body twitching. Spinning to face him, she watched the man she thought she'd killed climb back to his feet, his head still twisted around. As the announcer cried fearfully, "He's alive!" Videl watched as Spopovich calmly reached up, took his head, and started to turn it the right away around again, before giving up on his neck and lifting his head clear off it, turning it the right way, and setting it back down on his shoulders again as though it were perfectly normal.

Her heart beating in her ears, Videl could only mutter brokenly, "Who... is... this guy?" Climbing back to her feet as he approached her, her gaze never left the head her kick had twisted around, and as such, she paid no attention to the leg he drew back until the last minute, and by then it was too late, the yellow boot - similar to her own, only obviously a larger size, impacted cleanly with her face, and broke her nose.

_-You're one of the lonely-_

Holding her hands to her face, Videl forced the broken cartilage back into place, ignoring the drops of blood that splattered her large white singlet. As Spopovich charged towards her again, Videl did the only thing she could think of; she took to the skies again. To her horror, however, Spopovich took to the air after her, leaving her with no place left to run, as he ascended higher above the ring than her.

The two locked gazes for a while, Spopovich chuckling darkly all the while, before he pointed a hand in her direction and, with a rising shout, charged and fired a purple energy beam in her direction. Thinking quickly, Videl threw her hands forward, firing off a light blue blast of her own to intercept it, and silently thanking Gohan for drilling her thoroughly on how to use them _before_ teaching her how to fly instead of just teaching her flight first like she'd wanted; he was correct in telling her it was a useful skill, and, while she _had_ wanted to wait for a more dramatic moment to use them for the first time, she figured now was as good a time as any.

Her blast wasn't strong enough to deflect Spopovich's, but it _did_ detonate the purple beam before it could reach her. The concussive force of the explosion sent her careening back down to the arena, but she managed to take control of her descent and land on all four instead of face planting. Climbing back to her feet, as the ever-laughing Spopovich slammed down several metres away, she thought to herself, 'Kaen was right; this guy isn't human. He's a monster!'

_-Slowly recall all your mind-_

"Unbelievable, a ki beam!" Krillin exclaimed, adding, "It's a good thing this guy's ki beams aren't very strong."

"You're wrong," Vegeta commented, stepping away from his position leaning against the wall. "The rules say he'll lose if he kills her. He was purposely holding back."

His face grim, Goku added, "I don't know how he's doing it, but somehow Spopovich is using powers he's never had before." As the others turned their attention to him, he continued, "It's strange, but the last time he fought in this tournament I'm positive he couldn't fly _or_ throw an energy attack.

"But what does that mean dad?" Gohan asked, suddenly very worried for his would-be girlfriend's safety.

"I don't know," he replied helplessly, "I don't know how he could have changed this much Gohan!"

Keeping his eyes on the fight, one arm around his mate, Kaen mused to himself 'Come on girl, you know you can't win this thing. Throw the fight!'

_-If I scare you now-_

Gritting her teeth, Videl made up her mind. 'Fuck this! The title's not worth getting killed over.' Faking a charge towards him, she slid under Spopovich's legs and kept going, racing towards the edge of the ring. Before she could reach the edge however, Spopovich suddenly appeared in front of her with a burst of speed almost impossible for a man of his size. Unable to stop her forward momentum, she was powerless to dodge the punch he threw to her midsection, and she wound up wrapped around the basketball-sized fist.

_-Don't run from me-_

"Right, that's it!" Kat cried, standing up in her seat as she began focusing her energy; Videl had tried to leave the ring and was thwarted, and that was all the signal she needed.

"Neechan, what are you doing?" Lime asked curiously.

Kat just grinned as her visage faded to black. "My job."

_-I've been hiding my pain, you see-_

As she flew backwards from the force of the blow, Spopovich followed up with an elbow drop, sending the girl crashing to the centre of the ring. Then, kneeling over her, he began laying into her defenceless stomach, causing her to cough up blood as her torso jerked around from the rain of blows.

_-Said if I scare you now-_

"What a nightmare!" Erasa exclaimed, half covering her face in horror, "Videl doesn't have a chance!"

Clenching his fists and gritting his teeth, Sharpner stated, "I hate to say it, but I think her luck has officially run out!"

_-Don't run from me-_

"I've got to help her!" Gohan shouted, preparing to go to Videl's aid, before he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder, tracing back to his father.

"No Gohan!" Goku shouted, "If you interfere in the match you'll be disqualified."

"I don't care dad," Gohan shouted back, "I'm not going to stand around and watch him kill Videl!"

"Cellotto, relax." A second hand was placed on his other shoulder following that calm command. Turning to face the speaker, Kaen added, "Trust me when I tell you that Videl's safety is in capable hands." Saying no more, Kaen returned his attention to the fight, and Gohan had no choice but to join him.

_-I've been hiding my pain, you see-_

Satisfied with the damage he'd inflicted thus far, Spopovich stood up again, raising his leg in preparation of crushing the girl's ribs with a heel drop, when the impossible happened. The way the pair were situated in the arena, the sun was directly in front of him, meaning the girl's shadow rested on the tile between her body, and his legs. As his tree-trunk thick leg came barrelling down towards the girl's chest, her shadow seemed to rise out of the ground, take on solid form, and raise it's hands to block his attack, stopping the descending leg cold.

_-Slowly recall all your mind-_

**-/**

**She cast her eyes about warily as she walked carefully up the street; it looked like a battalion of tanks armed with flamethrowers had gone through. There were holes of varying sizes in the surrounding buildings, and the street itself, and bodies, and bits of bodies, lay scattered about, many of them burnt, and a few still on fire; the smell of burning flesh was almost overpowering, and she really had to fight back the urge to be sick.**

**Spotting a blue-and-white clad figure standing calmly amidst the carnage, she declared forcefully, "Alright you, drop whatever weapon you used to kill these people, put your hands in the air, and turn around slowly." When he turned to face her, she was surprised that the reports had been true.**

**He barked something at her in a different language, one she assumed was his native tongue; she may not have been able to understand it, but she knew it didn't bode well for her. Trying her hardest to talk him down, she felt the bottom drop out of her stomach as he mumbled something else, raising his hand, and forming a red ball on his palm; she'd seen enough, just from the surrounding area alone, to know that the ball was very real, and very dangerous.**

**Part of her wanted to close her eyes, but a greater part of her was determined to stare Death in the face. Death, it would seem, would not be coming for her today however. Before the red ball could reach her, a familiar figure appeared in front of her, slapping it away like an annoying insect. "Hey!" Kaen barked, "If anyone's killing the girl, it's me!"**

**\-**

_-Why, your soul's gone cold-_

"What the!" The announcer shouted, for the second time in this fight alone. "If I didn't see it with my own eyes I would never have believed it, but somehow, Videl's _shadow_ has joined the fight, and is protecting Videl herself! Unbelievable!"

_-And all hope has run dry-_

"What... What the hell is going on here!" Sharpner exclaimed. "Shadows just can't get up and walk around!"

"I don't care _what_ is happening," Erasa stated resolutely, "As long as it's helping Videl."

_-Dead inside-_

Opening one eye painfully, the semi-conscious Videl watched as her shadow as it seemed to flow, using just one arm to hold Spopovich's leg, while extending the other to deliver one of the most painful attacks throughout history: the Crotch Punch. Following that, her shadow threw his leg away and, it's legs still in the arena floor, began driving him back through a series of extended punches.

No longer laughing, the growling Spopovich began throwing punched of his own at the shadow, only to watch as they passed through it harmlessly. With a sudden, rare idea, Spopovich threw another punch at the shadow, and like the ones before it, his hand passed through the shadow's chest. However, while his hand was behind his new opponent, he splayed his fingers, grinning as he fired another purple energy wave at the fallen Videl.

_-Never enough to forget-_

**-/**

**She watched, half amazed, half horrified, as the two fighters waged a small-scale war between them. She felt the amazement take over for a moment as the first of them leapt backwards into the air, sailing over a kick, before dropping into a dual kick to his opponent's chest, which sent him skyward bound again. While airborne, he drew his hands back, firing one of those red beams of light at his foe; the horror took over again as she saw the beam disperse harmlessly on a blue field, before the second fighter sent on of those beams of light her way.**

**The first fighter seemed to burst into flame as he chased the beam, before slamming it into the ground with a double axe-handle manoeuvre. The resulting explosion rocked the whole area, and the erupting concrete sent her flying backwards to impact harshly with the wall behind her, which, while softer than she expected a wall to be, still drop the air from her lungs and consciousness from her mind.**

**When she came to again, she cast a pained look behind her, seeing it had, in fact, been a plexiglass window that broke her fall. Seeing no trace of the two fighters anywhere, she forced herself to her feet. She was back down to her knees, however, by the impact of one of those fighters before her, Kaen, the momentum of his slide digging a trench through the street, and sending a piece of bitumen on a beeline for her head. Consciousness faded again before her mind could register the pain.**

**\-**

_-That you're one of the lonely-_

"Oh no!" the announcer shrieked, "Spopovich is again attacking Videl! I don't know if she'll be able to get out of this one..."

The shadow quickly lost solidity, flowing back into the ground, then shot across the arena floor as it strove to outrun the blast. At the last possible second, the shadow dove out of the ground and enveloped Videl, moments before the blast destroyed the area she'd been lying in. When the smoke cleared, all that remained was a shallow hole in the tile.

_-Slowly recall all your mind-_

"I can't look!" Erasa exclaimed, shielding her face.

Sinking in his seat, Sharpner asked, "Do... Do you think she's..."

"No!" The blonde girl shouted, "I won't believe it! Videl can't be dead!" Dropping down onto her seat, she trailed off, "She can't be..."

_-Slowly recall all your mind-_

"I... I don't know what to say folks," the announcer stated slowly, "It looks like Videl might be- Wait a minute!" He changed his tune suddenly, as he saw a black form dart out of the smoking hole and 'fly' through the tiled arena floor, heading for the edge. As the shadow reached the edge of the ring it flowed down it, coming down onto the grass, and it was there that it rose out of the ground again, returning to a three dimensional figure, except this time, it was holding Videl in it's arms.

Turning to the announcer, the shadow seemed to wait there for him to comment, so he shouted, "Unbelievable! There you have it folks; Videl has survived the blast thanks to, of all things, her shadow, and she is now outside the ring. As much as it pains me to say this, Spopovich is the winner, and goes through to the next round." This caused a round of boos from the crowd, but, for the most part, they just seemed relieved Videl was alive. Satisfied with this, the shadow nodded, and carried Videl into the fighter's lounge.

_-Say, yes they know that-_

"Oh thank Kami she's alive!" Erasa exclaimed, breathing a sigh of relief.

Standing up, Sharpner declared, "Come on, we better go see how she's doing." Deciding that was a good idea, the two blondes ran off as fast as they could through the crowd.

_-You've hurt yourself another time-_

As soon as the pair were out of the public's eye, the shadow melted back into its original form, revealing Kat in all her glory. Before she could even say a word, Gohan dragged a bench over, saying, "Quick, lay her down here."

As soon as Videl was set down, Pi lay her hands across the thrashed girl chest, preparing to heal her. Kaen placed a hand on his mate's right shoulder, and Kat did the same with her left, the two ready to share their energy with her so she wouldn't be tired out for her match later. Speaking calmly, Pi commented, "Alright now Videl, just relax. I'm going to heal you, and this may feel a little strange."

_-Don't they know that-_

**-/**

**She awoke slowly, feeling safer than ever before in her life. As her senses returned, she heard a female voice comment, "What do you think could've done that? I mean, I never sensed anything wrong, but Kaen was clearly on the losing end of that fight, so whatever it was had to be at least as strong as you."**

**A male voice replied, "The only thing I can think of is some kind of android, but that leaves us with the question of 'why'." As she started to stir, she heard the second voice ask, "Hey there Videl, how are you feeling?"**

**As her slowly returning memory connected a face to the voice, she thought to herself, 'Ah, that would explain why I feel so relaxed,' fighting back both a blush and a smile. Sitting up, she replied, "Surprisingly good actually. I remember this piece of road flying at my head, then, nothing..." Looking around the area, and vaguely taking in the beautiful country scenery, she asked, "Where are we, and why don't I hurt any more?"**

**The female who had spoken before smiled, replying, "We're at my house, and I healed you; it's one of the powers I have."**

**A concerned tone to his voice, the male asked, "Videl, what happened out there?"**

**/-**

_-You're full of pain already?-_

"Wait a minute Pi."

"What is it Gohan!" The Saiyan girl snapped, "She's in pain here in case you haven't noticed; I've got to heal her as quickly as possible."

Raising his hands in surrender, he replied, "Take it easy! I was just going to tell you to save your strength; we've got senzu beans." As the trio of time travellers took a step back, Gohan took one of the senzu's out of the bag, sitting on the edge of the bench and cradling the girl's broken form. Raising the bean to her lips, he said, "Videl, I'm going to put the senzu bean into your mouth, and I need you to chew and swallow it. Can you do that?" When she gave a jerky nod, he gently slipped the bean between her lips.

_-Yes they know that-_

**-/**

**Feeling dazed from all she'd learnt that day, she asked slightly fearfully, "The third wish... I'm not going to remember any of this am I?" When the tall teen across from her shook his head guiltily, she pleaded, "But why? I've been doing good so far haven't I?" She sniffled a little, fighting back tears, as her crush explained his reasons; truth be told, she couldn't dispute them, and that hurt.**

**On impulse, she decided there was a little more she wanted to know, and now, he would have no reason for not telling her - after all, she wouldn't remember - so she asked, "Well, before you... make my memory go away, can you answer two more questions for me?" The first answer she received was more or less as she expected, and not the most important of the two, so she asked her second question: "What do you really think of me? Where do I stand in your mind?"**

**He smiled gently at her, wrapping his arms around her, and she felt her heart trying to escape her mouth. Leaning in close, Gohan whispered, "I love you." She felt a brilliant smile coming to her face, but before it could take hold, Gohan leaned in further, covering her lips with his own, and the world faded away, leaving just the two of them. The moment seemed to stretch on into eternity and beyond, but all too soon, even Gohan seemed to fade away like mist in the morning light.**

**An hour later, she awoke in her bed, with no memory of the day before.**

**\-**

_-You've hurt yourself another time-_

Gohan waited with baited breath, as he listened to Videl crunching the bean, before letting out a relieved sigh as he heard her swallow. Within seconds, her eyes widened in shock as she sat up quickly, examining and flexing her hands, before she jumped up to stand on the bench, exclaiming, "I'm all better now!"

The Demi-Saiyan teen smiled at the girl's antics, replying, "That you are Videl. You know you had us worried for a while there."

Climbing down from the bench quickly, a little embarrassed about her display, and at her close and, until recent, almost intimate position with Gohan, she murmured, "Sorry..."

"So then girl," Kaen jibbed, "What did we learn today?"

For a moment, Videl felt a surge of panic. 'Oh no, don't tell me he already knows my memory's returned! They'll wish it away again!' After the brief panic was over, her rational mind took control again, feeling safe in the knowledge that there's no way they could know. Instead, she replied, "Uh, that I should always listen to the advice of my peers?"

Grinning bastardly, he patted her on the head like you would a child - or a pet - as he teased, "Good girl." She felt her cheeks heat up as this action caused everyone around her to burst into laughter, and the laughter only increased as, on reaction alone, she buried her face in Gohan's chest to hide from the embarrassment. Mere seconds later, Videl realised what sort of position they were in and tried to jump back like Gohan was electrified, however, Gohan didn't seem to mind quite so much, and so had wrapped an arm around her shoulders, preventing her from doing so. The laughter died down a little as Gohan delivered a few well-placed glares and barked, "Don't condescend my training partner!"

All Saiyans present, and those who knew better, smirked knowingly at the inflection of Gohan's words and resigned themselves to a small chuckles, but left the pair alone.

Feeling mortified, Videl whined to herself, "Oh man! How am I ever going to get through the rest of this tournament now that I re-know Gohan loves me, but can't tell him I love him too! This is going to _suck_!'

_-Decadence isn't easy, is it?-_

To be continued...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's notes:

Well well, Videl's got her memory back. This should make things more interesting. Come on, you didn't think I'd allow the memory of her first kiss to be locked away forever did you?

I'm well aware that the lyrics aren't well spaced out, but I liked the lyric-to-plot match-up.

Also, in case it's not obvious, text inside the **-/ \-** is a memory flash.


	10. C10: Fear

--- Disturbance, Book 1: Convergence ---

Chapter C10 - Fear

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_-Fear something again-_

"We better go check on them," Kellre commented, phasing out.

"And find out why Kat was already prepared to help," Avarrdo adding, also disappearing.

Truniz sighed, "I better go keep those two out of trouble." With that, he too faded away.

_-Huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh-_

Extracting herself from Gohan's grasp, after not-so gently elbowing him in the stomach to inform him she wanted out, Videl turned to her redheaded saviour and said, "Thanks for getting me out of there Kat, but can I ask you a question?"

The younger girl giggled, "You just did, but feel free to ask another."

Feeling a little miffed at the girl's childish antics, Videl took a calming breath before asking, "Just how _did_ you save me? I mean, how did you hijack my shadow like that." She cast a quick glance behind her, making sure that her shadow was, in fact, back there again. When Kat didn't reply, Videl prompted, "Well?"

_-Fear something again-_

Kat just grinned, "I said you could ask a question, but I never said I'd answer it." That comment got a short round of laughter from Kaen, Pi, and Gohan, but the latter was quickly silence by another elbow to the gut. Before Videl could blow up on her, Kat continued, "I have no problem telling you how I did it; after all, unlike some people I don't feel the need to wait until the tournament's over." She cast a meaningful glance Gohan's way. "Keep in mind, however, that while it sounds simple enough, it's actually rather complex."

_-Huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh-_

Videl nodded, calming down, "Okay, shoot."

Kat shrugged, "Basically, I converted my physical form into pure ki energy, and it just happens that my ki is a physical manifestation of pure void, or shadow, energy." Seeing the puzzled look the human girl was giving her, she sighed. "Observe." Raising her right hand palm up, she formed a pure black ball of energy. "You already know what energy looks like, having used it yourself; well this is mine. As you can see, unlike normal ki, my energy is aligned to one of the five elements, shadow, also known as void."

_-Fear something again-_

"Why?" Videl asked, curious. "I mean, how come your energy is elementally charged?"

Kat shrugged again, "No idea, it only happens to about one in every thousand or so fighters, but I think it might have something to do with my race; I think we're all aligned to shadow by default, we just don't tend to be fighters." Before Videl could question her on that further, she reabsorbed the ball and continued, "Now, this is how I helped you."

_-Huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh-_

Videl watched in amazement, as the black energy seemed to flow up the girl's arm, covering it, until it reached her shoulder. Grinning, Kat chirped, "Cool huh? Go on, try hitting my hand." Nodding, Videl swung a punch at the younger girl's black hand, and watched as it sailed right through it. "Alright then," Kat piped up, "Try again." With a quirked eyebrow, Videl threw another punch, and this time felt shock at the sound of flesh hitting flesh. "See?" Kat asked, "I can go from physical to non-physical with just a thought. That's how I can fly through flat surfaces like a shadow does." She grinned cheekily, "Just call me Shadow Kat!" (1)

_-Fear something again-_

"Alright then, I get that part," Videl replied, ignoring the bad pun, before asking, "But how did you become _my_ shadow?"

"Simple." With a grin, Kat switched her appearance over to a copy of Videl, then to Kaen, and finally to Piccolo, before turning back into herself. "I can change my appearance to look like anyone I want."

Blushing a little bit, the human girl asked, "When you change yourself to look like a guy, does... everything change?"

_-Huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh-_

Blushing a bit herself, Kat was saved from having to answer by two events. The first was the announcer calling for the next two combatants, Piccolo and Shin. The second was an authoritative voice announcing, "There you are young lady. What have you got to say for yourself?"

Spinning around, Kat noticed three very familiar men walking their way. 'Thank you distraction!' She silently cheered, while asking, "Hey Pops, what're you three doing here?"

"We could ask you the same thing," Kellre countered, "Mind telling us why you did that?"

_-Reject, are you no one?-_

Feeling a little indignant, she commented, "I was helping a friend out. You got a problem with that?"

"And what made you think she'd need the help?" Avarrdo asked, "On the surface, there was nothing to suggest she'd need the help, but you were preparing to intervene almost from the moment the fight started."

Knowing she'd never be able to lie to them, she opted for the truth. "Kaen told me to be ready to help out. He figured there was something weird about Spopovich, and knew that if any of them intervened they'd be disqualified, so had me, an outsider, enlisted as backup."

_-Feel you nothing?-_

The penetrating stare of the three men turned their attention to Kaen, but the cocky young fighter was a little more resilient to it than his little sister was. "How did you know she'd need help boy?" Truniz demanded seriously.

"Didn't you know?" He sassed back. "It was obvious from appearances alone that something wasn't right with him, and for all her strength and bravado, the girl _is_ only human."

"You're hiding things from us." It was a statement, not a question.

Kaen just levelled a stare at his father. "I keep secrets from everyone. Why should you be special old man?"

_-You know I'll bet you think you have a good reason-_

The tension in the room seemed to escalate, until Videl unwittingly broke it by asking, "Um, Mister Avarrdo sir, can I ask you a question? How come you go by your surname?" When he looked at her as though to say 'What the hell are you blabbering about?' she added, "Back when Kaen and Pi introduced themselves to the class, they addressed themselves as Kaen Avarrdo, and Pi Kellre."

The older man nodded, "I understand now. We Saiyans don't have surnames like you humans do. Instead, we introduce ourselves by referring to who our parents are, usually our father; for example, Kaen, son of Avarrdo, or Pi, daughter of Kellre. If he is unknown, we will then name our grandfather, and if that doesn't help, his father, and so on. Kaen and Pi merely chose to drop the 'son of' and 'daughter of'."

_-To be living in the limelight of the fortunate ones-_

"Saiyans are expected to know their heritage back to the beginning of their bloodline," Kellre added, "And with the exception of two, every Saiyan does."

"Who are the exceptions?" Videl asked.

Truniz grinned. "Goku and Vegeta. Goku, or as we knew him, Kakarott, was sent away from the planet when he was a couple of months old, and thus missed out on growing up like a Saiyan. Vegeta, however, missed out on the lessons of heritage because our planet was destroyed before he started, as Saiyans weren't expected to learn it before their second birthday, or tenth in the Earth calendar."

_-You're too weakened by the poison that they feed you-_

Kaen snorted, "Not like Vegeta needs to know his heritage anyway."

"Why's that?" Goku asked; all of this was news to him.

"Simple," Kellre replied, "For the past fifty-four generations, the Saiyan kings have all been named Vegeta, right up until our planet was destroyed. Without the throne or crown, there was no need for a king, so the fifty-fifth Vegeta still uses the title of Prince."

"Who was your father Avarrdo?" The Earth-raised Saiyan asked.

When the older man grimaced, Kaen smirked, replying, "There's a reason dad doesn't use his 'surname'." When the attention was turned his way, he added, "Mum insisted I be named after my grandfather."

_-In the living lie, they don't believe you-_

"Here's an interesting titbit," Truniz interjected, "The bloodline of Kaen and Avarrdo traces its lineage back to the beginning of the Vegeta line. Their ancestor was Vegeta the Second's older brother. On his tenth birthday, while his mother was pregnant with his younger brother, he declared he wanted nothing to do with the throne, and thus, his younger brother was named Vegeta, after his father, and the Vegeta tradition was born."

Working out the math in her head, Videl asked, "So that would make Vegeta Kaen's distant uncle?"

"Cousin, actually," Kaen corrected. "I'm ten years older than him." When Videl spun in his direction, gaping incredulously, he smirked, "Don't look half bad for my age do I?"

_-Call to no one / Trust in nothing / Little impotent one-_

"Well then, this will be interesting, don't you think Piccolo?" Shin commented calmly, as the pair walked towards the ring.

'What is this strange energy I sense?' Piccolo thought to himself, staring at the always-calm Shin, as the two stood across from each other in the ring.

_-I don't want to be / I don't want to be-_

"I don't understand," Krillin commented, having moved away from the Saiyans and their discussion, "Is this guy really getting under your skin that much?"

"Yeah," Goku replied, "There's just something odd about him."

"If you say so," the short man shrugged, "He just doesn't seem to be all that powerful to me."

'Come on Shin,' Vegeta thought to himself mockingly, 'Why don't you show us why you have the little Namek all worried.'

_-I don't want to be / I don't want to be innocent, you know-_

"Here's another amusing piece of information," Kat commented, "The mother of the boy I'm dating was my childhood friend; we grew up together until I was thirteen."

"What?" Videl almost shouted, "That's not possible!"

"Don't mind them Videl," Gohan soothed, "They're just saying these things to mess with your head."

_-I don't want to be / I don't want to be-_

"Oh," She sighed in relief, "They're just joking."

"Oh no, they're quite serious," Gohan corrected, "They're just _telling_ you them to mess with you."

Feeling a little faint, Videl mumbled, "But... what... how..."

_-I don't want to be / I don't want to let them hypnotize me-_

"It's quite simple," Avarrdo lectured, "Pattern irregularities in the flux wave resulted in-"

"Time travel," Truniz blurted out. At the older man's glare, he defended his position with, "Look, whatever you were gonna say, she wouldn't have understood a word of it." Shaking his head a bit, he added, "Hell, I lived through it, and _I_ don't understand it

_-Punk ass, are you listening?-_

Watching the grin come to Shin's face, Piccolo grit his teeth, growling to himself. 'Why can't I focus my power? Why am I holding back like this? I've never met him before today! And yet, there's something about him...' Focusing his thoughts, he continued, 'I've sensed this kind of energy before. But where?'

Powering up in a way only Piccolo could see, Shin started laughing to himself, but it seemed only Piccolo could hear that too.

'No! It couldn't be!' The Namek thought to himself frantically. 'It can't be him! Why would he be here?'

_-Can you hear me?-_

Smiling, Shin commented, "I promise you'll know soon." Staring in shock, Piccolo could hear the words echoing inside his head, only to realise it wasn't an echo. _"You'll know soon."_ Smiling again, Shin added, _"But for now, let's enjoy our little match."_

Walking over to the edge of the ring, the announcer asked, "So, is this gonna happen or what?"

"I'm sorry," Piccolo replied, giving him a quick look, before turning back towards Shin, "I can't."

_-Or are you deaf and dumb to my language?-_

"Does this mean... you're withdrawing from the match?" the announcer prompted.

Waling away from the arena, Piccolo commented quietly, "Yes, it does."

'Interesting,' Shin thought to himself, 'Yes, that Namek was the Guardian of this planet at one point. Perhaps he knows more about me than I thought.'

_-Do the real words seem to hurt you?-_

"Is he that strong?" Goku asked.

"Yes," Piccolo replied, "Stronger than you can imagine."

Kaen just snorted, commenting to himself, "Then you must have a pretty weak imagination..." Stretching his arms, he added, "Well, looks like I'm up."

_-Well put em' up motherfucker-_

"Good luck out there!" Kat cried cheerfully.

"I don't need luck," Kaen replied, staring down Yamu, as the two strode towards the ring. He couldn't help but notice the glance Shin cast Yamu's back as the two passed each other, the purple-skinned man heading back to the fighter's lounge.

_-You'll feel it when I stamp it on your forehead-_

"We should probably head back up to the stands," Kellre commented, "And we'll take these two with us." He indicated the two Demi-Saiyan brats sitting quietly on the side.

"And you, young lady, are coming back with us," Avarrdo added.

She sighed, "Fine, fine."

"Wait," Videl exclaimed, "While I've got you here, can you answer a couple more questions for me?"

Looking towards the impatient old men, Kat replied, "Sure, but make 'em quick."

_-So you will never forget that you're a reject-_

Videl nodded, "Alright. First, what are you?"

"Nekojin," she replied swiftly.

"Cat person? But you don't look like-" Videl trailed off, watching as Kat's appearance changed again, this time growing cat ears, fur, and a ginger tail. "Right, appearance changing. All right then, my last question's technically not about you. I know Saiyans don't have a surname, but do you?"

_-And you're no one / And you're nothing / Little impotent one-_

"Nope," the young redhead chirped, "Or at least, I don't remember it. Besides, I'm not gonna wind up using mine for too much longer."

"So," the human girl asked slyly, "When you and Leo get married, what'll your surname be then?"

Kat blushed at the fact Videl had used the word 'when', not 'if'. "Pryde. Their surname is Pryde."

Videl quirked her head to one side, "So you'll be Kitty Pride?" (2)

"Yup."

_-I don't want to be / I don't want to be-  
-I don't want to be / I don't want to be innocent, you know-_

'It must be him, I'm sure of it.' Piccolo had put a little effort into tracking down the short purple man, who had retreated to the second floor of the fighter's lounge after his match; from there, he could easily observe the ring, while being away from the prying eyes and ears of the other fighters. Walking over towards him, he thought to himself, 'If it had been anyone else - _any_one else - I would _not_ have thrown the match.'

Smiling a little, Shin asked, "What is it?" For the first time, Piccolo noticed that Kibito wasn't around.

Stopping about two feet away, Piccolo replied, "Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but I have to ask you?"

"Yes?"

_-I don't want to be / I don't want to be-  
-I don't want to be / I don't want to let them hypnotize me-_

Psyching himself up, the Namekian fighter asked, "Well, are you... Are you the Grand Kai?"

Still smiling, Shin replied, "Sorry, no I'm not."

"I'll tell you who he is," Kibito commented, walking into view. "The Supreme Kai."

"Keep that information to yourself please," Shin, revealed to be the Supreme Kai, stated to the gaping Piccolo. "I _don't_ want the others to know just yet."

_-I don't want to be / I don't want to be-  
-I don't want to be / I don't want to be innocent, you know-_

Kaen smirked over at his opponent. Yamu looked so sure of himself; it'd be fun to knock him down a peg or two. As soon as the gong sounded Kaen rocketed forward, grabbing his opponent in a headlock, and leaning in to comment into his ear, "I know what you are, Majin."

_-I don't want to be / I don't want to be-  
-I don't want to be / I don't want to let them hypnotize me-_

"WHAT!" Shin exclaimed, spinning to face the ring, "How does he... How does he know that word?"

Piccolo, who had been walking away up until that point, paused and turned back. His hearing was sensitive enough to have picked up what Kaen said; 'Majin'. Seeing the states of unbridled shock on both Shin and Kibito's faces, he knew it couldn't be good; the Kai's eyes were almost falling out is his head, and Kibito looked like he'd swallowed his tongue. "What does that word mean, Majin?" Piccolo asked.

"It... It is why we are here, on this planet," Shin replied after a moment.

_-Fear awaken-  
-Go with it now and let it overcome you-_

Yamu gasped in shock, and Kaen took the opportunity to knee him in the back, before elbow dropping him to the ground. Picking him up by the neck, he added, "I know everything about you, Majin. I know why you're here. I also know that your boy Spopovich hurt a friend of mine. These are unforgivable." Dragging Yamu closer, until the two were face-to-face, Kaen grinned evilly, "Give Babidi a message for me; I'm coming for him." He swiftly kneed Yamu in the stomach.

_-Fear awaken-  
-Your mind is racing-_

"I... I don't understand it..." Shin stammered, "How... How can he possibly know about Babidi? We only found out ourselves a month ago! It's just not possible!"

'So, Kaen knows something even the Supreme Kai doesn't," Piccolo mused to himself. 'Interesting.' He suddenly remembered something the flame-haired fighter had said before. 'I wonder where he may have met the Supreme Kai before, or at least, met _a_ Kai...' He had his suspicions, but he'd have to wait and see.

_-I don't understand why you don't like me-  
-Why don't you like me?-_

"Are you sure Kaen's gonna be alright?" Videl asked. She wasn't really worried about him - he wasn't _her_ friend after all, not really - but he _did_ look out for her with Spopovich, so she felt she had to ask.

"Don't worry about him," Pi replied with a wave of her hand, "Kaen's more than strong enough to handle anything Yamu can dish out, even if he's stronger than Spopovich. No offence Videl, but you couldn't hurt him unless he let you."

_-Am I so different from you?-  
-Now does it scare you that I'm able to discern what to love and what to burn?-_

'That's for damn sure," Videl thought to herself, feeling a few phantom pains across her neck, where she remembered Kaen holding her; the memory was so clear to her, she could still remember the terror she'd felt when her attacks didn't even phase him.

"I'm more worried about Yamu myself," Pi continued, "Poor bastard doesn't know what he's getting in to."

_-I'll add your fuel to the fire now-  
-Stand back, brother take your hand back-_

"Come on you worthless sack of crap," Kaen spat, kicking Yamu in the ribs, and causing the dazed fighter to fly onto his feet, "I've got a whole can of whoop-ass yet to open on you."

_-Leave it and I might crack-  
-More than a smile or two you see-_

Before Yamu could recover Kaen sped forward, slamming him under the chin with a powerful uppercut, and causing the pale fighter's neck to stretch elastically as his head extended about a foot from his shoulders. Like Spopovich, his head quickly snapped back, coming to rest on his shoulders again, but while he was still reeling from that Kaen slammed his fist into Yamu's ribs, causing the Majin to fly backwards.

_-Don't judge what you don't understand-  
-You can't deny what has been given to me-_

Phasing out, Kaen appeared a ways behind him, throwing his leg out backwards to catch Yamu in the kidneys, and reversing his momentum, sending him sailing the other way. Phasing in front of him again, Kaen swung his knee up, catching Yamu in the stomach, and folding him around it. Before he could fly away again, Kaen grabbed his leg, swinging him in a skyward arc, before slamming him face-first into the tile.

_-I don't want to be / I don't want to be-  
-I don't want to be / I don't want to be innocent, you know-_

In a particularly cruel move, Kaen brought his leg back and swung it down between his fallen opponent's legs, the force of the blow sending him rocketing upwards. Smirking darkly, Kaen leapt up, moving faster than Yamu, and flipping backwards in the air to send Yamu plummeting back down with a moonsault kick. He then phased out again, reappearing beneath him, and catching the brutalised fighter above his head one-handed. He kicked him back into the air with another back flip kick, before leaping after him again and elbow-dropping him in the ribs. This time, he made no effort to stop the Majin's descent.

_-I don't want to be / I don't want to be-  
-I don't want to be / I don't want to let them hypnotize me-_

As Yamu slammed harshly with the tile, skipping across the surface for several feet, Kaen slowly descended back down, before landing calmly with a pair of soft taps. He watched calmly as Yamu struggled to his feet, observing the Majin's lungs reinflating, his spine re-setting, and his ribs creaking back into position. When Yamu turned his way again, purple blood leaking from the corners of his mouth, there was a good deal of fear in his eyes.

_-I don't want to be / I don't want to be-  
-I don't want to be / I don't want to be innocent, you know-_

"Wow," Videl commented, "He's kicking ass."

"He's wasting time," Vegeta grunted sourly, "He should just finish him off and get it over with."

"Don't you get it Vegeta?" Gohan added, "He's testing him. He's showing us what the limits are, because I'm going to be fighting Spopovich in the next round."

_-I don't want to be / I don't want to be-  
-I don't want to be / I don't want to let them hypnotize me-_

"Wait," Videl interrupted, "Kaen's pulling his punches?"

"Uhuh," Pi nodded brightly, "If he wanted, Kaen would have no trouble sending Yamu halfway to the moon." Grimacing slightly, she added, "He _is_ being particularly vicious though." She shrugged, "What can I say, he has anger issues."

"Yeah, right," Gohan drawled, "And my dad likes the occasional snack."

_-Fear awaken-  
-Go with it now, and let it overcome you-_

Fearing for his life, Yamu turned and started to flee towards the edge of the ring. Before he could get there though, Kaen phased in front of him, punching him in the throat, growling, "Going somewhere?" As he watched Yamu stager backwards, waiting for his throat to reinflate, Kaen taunted, "What's the problem? You were so confident coming into this match? Where's all that bravado now?"

_-Fear awaken-  
-Go with it now, go with it now-_

Throwing his hands forward, Yamu let out a shout, firing off a wave of purple energy, but Kaen just calmly batted it back almost perfectly on it's axis, causing it to strike it's caster in the face. "Pathetic," Kaen spat disgustedly, "I expected a fighter, and instead I get a weakling." Scowling, he added, "It's time to end this. You should feel fortunate I can't kill you."

_-Your fear awaken-  
-Go with it now, and let it overcome you-_

Blurring slightly, Kaen disappeared from view. Looking around frantically, Yamu's body was suddenly rocked from an unseen blow, Kaen blurring back in at the point of impact, before disappearing again. With inhuman speed Kaen circled his opponent, delivering blow after punishing blow, each time reappearing for a split second. After a minute Kaen grew bored of this, reappearing with one last devastating kick, and sending the brutalised Yamu hurtling into the concrete wall surrounding the arena.

_-Fear awaken-  
-Your mind is racing-_

"And Yamu is outside of the ring!" The announcer shouted, "Once we confirm he is in fact still alive, Kaen will be declared the winner."

"Don't worry," Kaen commented, walking calmly back to the lounge, "He's still breathing." Sure enough, the lump of flesh that slowly unravelled itself to be Yamu _was_ still breathing, laboured though it was.

_-Erasing now-_

"Have fun?" Pi asked her mate, thumping him on the arm.

_-Hey reject-_

He shrugged, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "A little." Locking gazes with Gohan, he added, "It's just a shame I won't get any real opponents until the semis."

_-Are you no one?-_

"Don't forget Shin," Krillin commented, "You're up against him next."

_-Feel you nothing?-_

"Please," Kaen replied dismissively, "Despite what the Namek believes, Shin will be no more of a challenge than Yamu was."

_-You know I'll bet you think you have a good reason-_

"Come on Kaen," Pi piped up, dragging him off, "We've got half an hour, and I need a drink before my next match." Vegeta smirked to himself as the two walked off. In thirty minutes he would face Pi in combat for the first time, and he would show the girl once and for all where she stood. For denying him his match against Kakarott, she would receive the full force of his Saiyan strength.

_-To be living in the limelight of the fortunate ones you know!-_

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

(1) and (2) - This was just something that came to me. It didn't occur to me until about a month ago that, with her powers, Kat could be known as Shadow Kat, and from that realisation, I had to include the name Kitty Pryde in there. In case you don't know, Katherine 'Kitty' Pryde was one of the X-Men. Her codename? Shadowcat.

And so the elimination round comes to a close. These first eight rounds have probably been very boring, but they're needed to set the scene for the (hopefully) spectacular later rounds.

I'd like to take a moment to respond to a few points Mystic4 Gohan brought up. First, you brought up the way Kaen and Pi speak down to Vegeta, despite the hard life the Saiyan Prince has lead. Now, I'm not going to try and claim my characters have had harder lives than some twenty years of slavery, but the reason they talk to Vegeta like that is simple: they know it pisses him off. They speak to him as an infant because they remember him as an infant - they were fifteen when Vegeta was five - and they know being spoken down to annoys him. Now, don't get me wrong, I like Vegeta as a character, but I also like making fun of him.

Now, as for Kaen and Pi knowing more than they should, e.g. the Majin, there is a very good reason for that. However, telling you now would spoil coming events; how he came about the knowledge is a fairly major plot event, or at least results from one. The clues _are_ there though, if you're observant. As for the other OC's knowing 'everything', a lot of that's all talk; a psychiatrist knows everything because he makes you to believe he does.

Oh, and yes, Gohan and Spopovich _will_ meet in the ring. Stay tuned for that; trust me, you won't want to miss it.


	11. C11: Believe

--- Disturbance, Book 1: Convergence ---

Chapter C11 - Believe

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-Believe, when you lie-_

"So," Kaen started, placing a hand on his mate's shoulder, "Are you ready for this?"

Pi sighed, crushing the can in her hand and absently tossing it over her shoulder; she didn't need to look o know she'd gotten it in the bin without any rebound. "Honestly Kaen, I'm not sure," she replied slowly, "I mean, I know I have the strength to do it, but-"

"You might not if you have to hold back so Gohan doesn't know what to expect?" Kaen guessed, a smile on his face. When she nodded, he spun her around to face him, saying, "Pi, keeping Gohan in the dark until the semi-finals is not as important to me as seeing you in the finals. I want you to use as much power as you feel necessary to defeat Vegeta, and we'll deal with the fallout afterwards. Trust your instincts. Bend, but don't break."

_-You will never need to recognize yourself-_

She nodded in acceptance, "Okay Kaen, but-"

"Shh," he interrupted, placing a finger over her lips. "I know you Pi. You have all the skill you need to defeat Vegeta; you've been dealing with me all these years. Just believe in yourself, the way I do."

"What?" She exclaimed, sure she'd heard him wrong.

He smiled. "I believe in you Pi. I know you can do this."

_-To deceive-_

She smiled up at him brilliantly, "Thank you Sensei!"

His smile turned a touch nostalgic as he commented, "You haven't called me that for years; why now?"

"Here, I am not your bondmate," she replied sagely, "Here, I am your student, as you are my teacher."

"Very well then Gakusei," Kaen commented, "Let us return; the third test awaits."

_-To remove all chance of doubt and be received-_

"So, you guys care to make a wager on this match?" Eagle asked excitedly.

"Not a chance in hell," Condor replied.

"Wait a minute," Yamcha interrupted, "How come you'll bet against Goku, but not against Vegeta, despite the fact Goku has defeated Vegeta before?"

_-With your lie-_

"Simple," Raptor replied, "Deep down at his core, Goku's a nice guy, and he fights like a nice guy."

"Whereas Vegeta," Oz continued, "Is a heinous prick."

"The fight's predetermined," Hawk shrugged.

"Oh yeah?" Falcon challenged, "Well I've got twelve thousand zenni here says Roc wins, and a further twelve that says she does it without throwing a single punch _or_ kick."

_-The deception is complete when you concede-_

A massive grin on his face, Hawk held out his hand, "You're on! I'd say it's a shame to take your money, but, that'd be a lie."

"Not my money anyway," Falcon replied, "I won it off you chumps."

"But how's that work?" Harrier asked, "What happens if Roc wins having thrown a punch, or loses without?"

_-And decide-_

"We both win twelve and lose twelve, winding up back where we started," Falcon explained.

"Won't happen," Hawk shrugged dismissively, "Fighting Vegeta, she'll have to fight back sooner or later."

"Oh I never said she wouldn't fight back," Falcon smirked, "Just that she wouldn't punch or kick."

_-To reject your lives, sacrificed to me-_

Pi closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths to help calm and focus her mind, as she and Vegeta strode out towards the concrete ring. She and Kaen hadn't spoken another word to each other since they returned to the fighter's lounge, but his words before then had assured her that yes, this tournament _was_ in fact a test he'd set up for her. The first test, the punch machine, was a test of Strength, and knowing when and how to pull it. The second test, her bout with Goku, was a test of Intelligence and Cunning. This match, her third test, would be a test of Skill and Wits.

He had dropped several cryptic hints about what the conditions of this test were. By saying 'Use as much power as you feel necessary,' he had told her that one of the test's conditions was using the minimum amount of energy to win the match, which the statement 'You have all the skill you need' backed up; to succeed, she needed to use as little energy as possible, so as to maximise the skills used. After all, any fighter can power up to the max and steamroll his opponents, but a good fighter doesn't need to.

With a sigh, she opened her eyes again. Kaen believed in her, and she would not fail him.

_-Penance can't absolve your sin-_

"So," Gohan said, trying to start a conversation, "Do you think she'll win?"

"I don't need to think," Kaen replied sagely, "I already know she will."

"Of course you'd say that," Videl added, "You're her boyfriend; it's your job to be supportive."

With an almost invisible smile, Kaen borrowed Pi's words from earlier, correcting, "No, here I'm not her mate. On this stage, I am her teacher, as she is my student, and as her teacher, I have faith that her skills will be enough."

The other two teens nodded at his words, before something occurred to Videl, "Wait; mate?"

_-Into me, penance can't absolve your sin-_

'What was that he said? 'Bend, but don't break',' Pi mused to herself as she awaited the gong. She knew there was more to Kaen's statements than the conditions of the test, he also subtly told her how to pass it; he did, after all, want her to succeed. 'He said I had enough practice dealing with him all these years, so how does that...' She smirked, 'Ah, right. I beat Kaen by messing with his head. Still, there's something I'm missing...'

As soon as the match started, Vegeta flared into Super Saiyan, dropping into a tight, rigid stance, and barking out, "Prepare yourself girl, for now you face a True Saiyan Elite!"

_-All your belief cannot absolve your sin-_

'That's it! The missing piece of the puzzle!' Pi exclaimed in her mind, her eyes locked onto the wavering gold locks upon Vegeta's head. 'When Kaen said I knew how to defeat him, he meant I know the best way to 'fight fire'; with water.' Exhaling slowly, Pi dropped into a loose stance, leg's spread fairly wide apart, and after twisting her arms around a bit, came to rest them with one behind her at an angle, and the other held before her face, both hands flat, with the thumb crossed over the palm. "What's the matter Vegeta?" She taunted, "Afraid of being beaten by a girl?"

_-All your belief cannot absolve your sin-_

Vegeta's eyes widened, and not just from the barb. Her power level had risen quite a bit, coming to rest a little above what Kaen displayed during his match with Gohan across Satan City's skies; that in and of itself was no real surprise. The surprise was that there were no outward sign's of powering up, such as an aura, or increased wind. Forcing his face into a confident smirk, he thought to himself, 'If my guess is correct, this is actually somewhere around her base strength. The only way she could have powered up that quickly without showing anything would be if she was, in fact, lowering her power beforehand.'

Smirking herself, Pi jibbed, "You _are_ afraid of me aren't you? Or is it what I represent that you fear?" When Vegeta's confident mask slipped a little, she pressed on, "After all, I defeated Kakarott. If you defeat me, then you have vicariously defeated him, making you the stronger. However, when I beat you, you will be number two again."

_-Believe, when you lie-_

With a growl, Vegeta lunged towards her, intend on 'shutting her big mouth' by breaking her teeth, but she calmly swung an arm up and pushed his fist harmlessly to one side. He spun to face her, throwing a hard left hook her way, but like the first, the blow was harmlessly deflected, as she stepped a little to the side. Infuriated, Vegeta lashed out with a powerful kick, but she brought her arms up to grab the leg, and, in the same motion, ducked under it, swung him around, and cracked him on the back with the edges of both hands.

_-You will never need to recognize the source-_

'Flow like water,' Pi thought to herself, remembering the ancient teachings of a man she didn't remember meeting. 'The Reed knows that to survive, it must bend, but not break. When the raging fire comes, the Reed retreats to the soothing water, where fire can not hurt it.' "I'm right aren't I Vegeta?" Pi asked, still twisting her arms this way and that as she waited for him to attack again, "For the past seven years you have been training for the single purpose of defeating Kakarott, and now that you've seen me do that task with ease, you fear me, don't you?"

_-Of deceit-_

"I fear nothing!" Vegeta shouted, lunging wildly for her, but the Saiyan girl before him calmly deflected each of his bone-crushing strikes. Jumping back, Vegeta barked, "Damnit girl, fight back!" Not giving her a chance to reply, he charged a blast and fired it at her.

Twisting to one side, Pi brought her arm up to cup the energy ball, before swinging it around and throwing it back whence it came. "Why should I Vegeta?" Pi quipped, "You're doing more than enough fighting for the both of us."

_-To renew your faith in God, you must believe-_

"Girl's got some skills, I'll give her that," Chichi admitted begrudgingly; she was still a little sour about how Pi had defeated Goku earlier.

"She's sure giving Vegeta a run for his money, that's for sure," Bulma agreed, "I thought the match was over the minute Vegeta ascended. It might be nice to see his ego get knocked down a peg or two."

_-In your lie-_

"Where'd she learn to fight like that?" Chichi asked, directing her question towards five of the six Saiyans seated above her. When they failed to respond, she turned around, noticing the odd looks they bore. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know," Raene muttered, "I just don't know."

"Something is very strange here," April added.

_-The redemption is complete when you conceive-_

"Why? What's the problem?" Cherri asked; despite her bond with Truniz, she didn't know Pi or Kaen well enough to spot anything out of the ordinary.

_-And decline-_

"Kaen knows things he shouldn't," Avarrdo explained grimly.

"Pi fights in ways she's never been taught," Kellre added, a thoughtful look on his face.

_-To release your lives-_

"It's almost as if they're different people," Truniz added insightfully, "There's enough normalities to suggest otherwise, but too many oddities for nothing to be wrong."

"So, what is it?" Chichi asked.

Kellre shook his head. "I don't know. But I'm going to find out."

_-Sacrificed to me-_

"What's the... matter... Vegeta?" Pi asked haltingly, breaking her speech whenever she had to duck, block, or otherwise avoid one of his attacks. "Having... a little... trouble? I thought... you were... a 'True... Saiyan Elite'... so where is... all your... power now?"

Growling viciously, Vegeta jumped back, landing about a foot away from the edge of the ring as he charged ki in both his hands. "Damn you girl, STAND STILL!" With a primal roar, Vegeta began firing wave after wave of energy blasts, intent on turning her into a smoking hole in the ground, but Pi just danced gracefully through the sea of energy, swatting the blasts away at high enough angles to avoid the surrounding crowd.

_-Penance can't absolve your sin-_

Remaining in the finishing pose of her 'dance', Pi struggled not to show any physical signs of her exhaustion; after all, with Vegeta, half the battle was psychological, and she was winning that half. Instead, she smirked confidently, jeering, "Is that all your True Saiyan Elite power can do? A light show?"

Smirking back at her, Vegeta threw his arms back, charging ki in each hand. Pi's smirk faltered a little as shock set in; she recognised this technique, or at least a technique like it. Throwing his arms forward again, Vegeta merged the two balls of ki, shouting, "Let's see you swat this one away! FINAL FLASH!"

_-Into me, penance can't absolve your sin-_

Pi leapt backwards, landing near the edge of the ring so she'd have enough time to prepare a proper defence. She knew that, if she dodged it, in his rage Vegeta wouldn't redirect it, causing it to hit the stands. She also knew that if she blocked it, it would either knock her out, or knock her out of the ring, or both. That left option three: redirection. With a smirk, Pi realised she could finish this fight here and now.

Pulling her hand back, Pi kept her hand flat, charging ki in her palm. As the blast drew closer she grit her teeth, knowing that if she wasn't exact, the blast could blow up in her face, or worse. With a resigned sigh, she threw her arm forward palm-first, the ki-coated flesh impacting the beam at the peak of her forward thrust, and, with a rising shout, she discharged the collected energy.

_-All your belief cannot absolve your sin-_

Vegeta smirked to himself, satisfied with his victory; the girl hadn't dodged the blast, so she was clearly defeated. His eyes widened in shock then as his blast came flying back at him. Raising his arms up to block, he was unprepared for the blast to be slightly off centre, striking the ground near his feet and sending him tumbling backwards. Focusing his ki, he stopped himself from hitting the grass, but didn't expect the girl to follow his blast so closely; thus, with one final palm strike, his back touched the ground outside the ring.

"And Vegeta is outside the ring!" the announcer shouted, "Pi is the winner!"

A smile on her face, Pi waved to the cheering crowd, before walking back to the fighter's lounge, and her mate.

_-All your belief cannot absolve your sin-_

"Oh yeah, that's my girl!" Falcon shouted excitedly, "Doubling my winnings!"

Grudgingly pulling out the money, Hawk asked, "How the hell did you know that?"

She just smirked, "Trade secret."

_-Reap your life-_

"Wow Pi, that was amazing!" Videl exclaimed, rushing over to congratulate her friend.

"Yeah, I've got to admit, that was pretty well done," Gohan agreed, asking, "But how did you block Vegeta's Super Saiyan-level attacks without flinching?"

Pi just stood there, saying nothing, until Vegeta stormed past her, bumping into Eighteen as she and Hercule headed out for their match, and through the fighter's lounge. Then, smiling a little sheepishly, she mumbled, "My arms are numb..."

Shocked, Videl cried, "What?"

_-Like you want to recognize-_

"I can't feel my arms," Pi replied, shrugging as best she could, "I just couldn't let Vegeta know, coz it was psychological warfare." Without saying a word, Kaen gently lean Pi over to a nearby bench, and dragged her down to sit in his lap. Then, still silent, he began massaging her shoulders, eliciting small moans of pleasure from the weary fighter.

"How could you possibly withstand blows that powerful without flinching?" Gohan asked.

Biting her lip, Pi replied, "Conditioning."

_-All you've come to-_

"What sort of conditioning?" Videl prompted.

"Simple," Kaen commented for her, "You hit someone, and if they flinch, you hit them harder. Eventually, you stop flinching."

_-Reap your life-_

"I've got another question," Videl commented, "How did you block Vegeta's attacks at all? I mean, I could barely even see half of them."

Revelling not only in the fact Kaen was giving her a massage, but that he was doing it in public - a rare treat, given his aversion to public displays of affection - the girl in question replied quickly, "Vegeta telescopes his attacks. If you know what to look for, you can dodge all of them, and after fifteen years fighting Kaen, I know what to look for."

_-Like you want to recognize-_

With the serious discussion over, Gohan decided it was past time for a little fun. "I thought that here you were only her teacher," he jibbed, "Seems pretty affectionate for a student-teacher relationship."

"A good teacher always rewards their students for a job well done," Kaen shot back, not perturbed in the slightest, as his hands started to work their way down Pi's arms, focusing on the tensed muscles. "Besides, I want my student in top form when I fight her in the finals."

_-All you've come to-_

"I don't know if I'm gonna be able to get to the finals," Pi whined, acting more like a girl and less like a warrior the more Kaen's massage continued, "I mean, my next match is gonna be against Eighteen. It'll be like fighting Vegeta all over again!"

"Don't worry Pi," Kaen smiled to himself cryptically, as if he knew something she didn't, "You'll be fine."

_-Reap your life-_

"Are you _quite_ done?" Eighteen asked tiredly. For five minutes, Hercule had done nothing but showboat, and quite frankly, she was sick of it.

Laughing, Hercule bellowed, "Surely you realise by now that you can't beat me, coz I'm The Champ! Now, I don't wanna mess up that pretty face a' yours, so I'm gonna let you off easy and give you a chance to surrender."

_-Veiled in shadow, recognize-_

Tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, Eighteen replied, "You don't remember me do you Hercule?" When he just stood there, staring at her vacantly, she continued, "Let me make it easy for you. I was there the day you became known as the 'Saviour of the World'." Almost able to see the gears cranking and spluttering in his head she dashed forward, gliding past his cringing form to stand behind him as she added softly, "I was the girl Cell vomited up."

Fighting the urge to shriek in terror, Hercule stuttered, "You... you..."

_-Faces of the crucified-_

Before he could say anything more she grabbed him in a headlock, saying quietly, "Now that you know where you stand, let's talk."

"Wh-what about?"

"It's simple." Eighteen smiled coldly. "I have no interest in the title - I'm here for the money - but to you, that title is everything, so we have us an interesting situation here."

"What do you mean?" Hercule was feeling a little more confident now that it was obvious she wasn't going to pop his head off his shoulders.

_-I can hear their screams tonight-_

Smirking, Eighteen explained, "I am willing to throw this fight, and give you a chance at the title, but in exchange, I want something from you."

His mind filled with perverted thoughts for a moment, he asked, "What do you want?"

"Twenty million zenni."

"What!" Hercule shrieked.

_-Ever haunting me-_

"There is another option," Eighteen added coldly, "I could knock you out and go on for the title myself, leaving you to go home with nothing but a lump on your head. It's your call."

Feeling real terror at the thought of being disgraced in the public eye, he stammered, "I'll do it! I'll do anything to win!"

"Good boy," she commented derisively, "Now here's what you're going to do."

_-Burn your lie into me-_

Once she'd explained everything, Hercule followed through with her orders to the letter, 'elbowing' her in the stomach to 'force' her to let him go, before 'kicking' her in the chest to knock her back, and 'sweeping' her legs out from under her, to send her out of the arena.

As Hercule began celebrating his win, he heard Eighteen comment coolly, "Now you remember to get me my money, or believe me Satan, you _will_ regret it." With that, the cyborg woman walked calmly back to the fighter's lounge.

_-Penance can't absolve your sin-_

"You threw the fight?" Krillin asked.

Eighteen shot her husband a piercing look. "Of course I threw the fight." Her tone seemed to say 'You think I lost by accident?'

"Why would you deliberately let that fool Satan defeat you?" Vegeta sneered; having had a few minutes to himself, he had calmed down a great deal, the loss only increasing his resolve to train harder. "Don't you have any pride?"

"My pride is easily worth twenty million zenni," Eighteen shot back calmly.

_-Into me, penance can't absolve your sin-_

"Wha... Twenty million zenni!" Krillin exclaimed.

Eighteen just smiled, "You don't think I'd throw the fight for nothing do you?" Forestalling any other questions, she explained, "I never cared about the title; I wanted the money. If I beat Hercule, my next match was against Pi, and assuming I beat her, my next match would be against either Kaen or Gohan. Gohan I knew is stronger than me, and Kaen would no doubt be angry I had defeated his girlfriend, so my chances or walking away with the money were slim. This way, I don't walk away empty handed."

_-All your belief cannot absolve your sin-_

"Let me get this straight," Videl interrupted, "You blackmailed my dad into rigging the fight in his favour?"

Eighteen smiled slightly, "I prefer to think of it as extortion."

Gohan watched in amazement as Videl actually burst into laughter, exclaiming, "That's awesome! That probably hurt him as much as beating him would." At everyone's incredulous looks, Videl explained, "The top five important things to my dad are himself, money, his fame, money, and then me, in that order."

"Videl..." Gohan muttered piteously.

"It's okay Gohan," Videl waved his concerns away, "I'm used to it." She smiled, "Besides, I have a new family now, with all of you guys." Gohan just smiled, opening his arms, and Videl wasted no time entering his embrace, embarrassment be damned. Fortunately, everyone seemed to realise the gravity of the situation, and said nothing; at least, for now.

_-All your belief cannot absolve your sin-_

_"Did you know she'd do that Kaen?"_ Pi asked, referring to Eighteen's 'forfeit'. The two were still seated on the bench, only now Kaen's arms were stationary, wrapped around her waist.

Kaen just smiled. _"I had a feeling. I knew she wasn't here for the title."_

_"So,"_ she asked, _"Did I pass the test?"_

Kaen just pulled her closer, kissing her once on the lips, _"With flying colours. I'm so proud of you."_ She both blushed and glowed with embarrassment and pride, settling herself into his embrace and enjoying the feeling of closeness she'd missed the past few weeks.

_-Oh no, all your belief cannot absolve your sin-_

"Can we have Gohan and Spopovich out here for the next match?" The announcer's voice drifted in from ringside.

Gohan smirked darkly to himself, easily rivalling Kaen or Vegeta in the fear factor. He was going to enjoy this match very much...

_-Oh no, all your belief cannot absolve your sin-_

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

Sensei - Teacher  
Gakusei - Student

Aha, the plot thickens. Kaen and Pi are using knowledge and skills they shouldn't have. I wonder why...

Ten points to anyone who can guess where, in the previous story, Pi got her new fighting style from. For visuals, picture the way Gabriel Law fought in the second half of the final fight in 'The One'.

Now, having written this, I am sure I will probably getting people complaining about the outcome of the Pi vs. Vegeta match, so let me explain. Vegeta, as a fighter, is known to throw his usually exceptional weight around, coming at his opponent with attacks that probably waste more energy than is required, so he defeats them as fast as he can. He is also arrogant, and over-confident in his own abilities, believing himself to be the very best, as was seen when he allowed Cell to become Perfect so he could test himself.

These two character flaws do not make a nice combination. Vegeta's fighting style, as was seen against Perfect Cell, does not work against anyone that can either withstand, heal from, or otherwise circumvent the normal devastation his attacks yield. This was a point I found at least one other person agreed with me about, in a story I read a while back that had Vegeta being the one to receive Elder Kai's training and return to eart to fight Buu; it just simply didn't work.

As I've said before, I like Vegeta as a character, but the man has too much ego, plain and simple. This fight was done as such for two reasons: to help break Vegeta's ego problem that little bit more, and to make him angry at the way things turned out, which is needed for later events (I'm sure everyone can guess which events these are, so I'm not gonna bother saying them, or saying I won't say them). Thus, I had him fight an opponent that used a style that countered Vegeta's attack method. Besides, it's not like the winner of the tournament has much bearing on the rest of the story anyway. Pretty much the entire first Book of this series is just setting up the next two.

Also, who guessed Eighteen would still blackmail Hercule? Seriously?

Stay tuned for the next chapter, when we see just what a pissed off Gohan is capable of.


	12. C12: Forgiven

--- Disturbance, Book 1: Convergence ---

Chapter C12 - Forgiven

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-Forgiven to me / You're forgiven to me-_

Watching the barely-contained rage on Gohan's face, as he and Spopovich strode out towards the ring, Eagle asked calmly, "What are the odds that Spopovich leaves the ring in a body bag?"

_-You're just another dead man living to me-_

"Zero," Hawk replied swiftly, "Dragon's not gonna risk screwing up his match against Phoenix, no matter how angry he is; it's the reason he came to the tournament after all."

"Doesn't mean they won't need a new stadium when he's done though," Harrier pointed out.

"Wait; Dragon?" Yamcha interrupted.

Oz just shrugged, "Gohan's nickname."

_-Forgiven to me / You're forgiven to me-_

Before anyone could comment further, Chichi declared, "Well I just hope my Gohan pummels that brute for what he did to Videl." Standing up, she shouted, "Destroy him son! Mercy is for the weak!"

_-How can you let a dead man live?-_

Lowering her voice, Falcon whispered to Bulma, "Wow. She's scary when she's angry."

"You haven't seen anything yet," the blue-haired scientist whispered back. "This isn't angry on the Chichi-scale; this is annoyed."

_-Forgiven to me / You're forgiven to me-_

Struggling to control his breathing and keep his anger in check, Gohan willed himself not to lash out violently at his opponent, at least until the match started. He smiled darkly to himself as his sensitive hearing picked out his mother's voice in the crowd, having been well trained in listening for her. 'Just because I can't kill him,' he thought to himself, 'doesn't mean I can't have revenge for Videl.'

_-You're just another dead man living to me-_

Noticing the look in Gohan's eyes, the announcer pulled him off to the side, commenting away from the microphone, "On the record, I need to remind you that killing your opponent will result in disqualification. Off the record however," he grit his teeth, "I hope you punish Spopovich severely for what he did. Videl's always been such a nice, polite person - completely unlike her overbearing father - and she didn't deserve that."

"Don't worry sir," Gohan smirked, "I assure you Spopovich will get what is coming to him."

_-Forgiven to me / You're all giving to me-_

As Gohan continued on his way to the arena, the announcer gave his normal pre-fight introductions. "For those of you who witnessed his vicious match against Videl earlier, I'm sure Spopovich needs no introduction." Before he could continue, a massive round of boo's rang out from the observing crowd. Once that died down, he kept going, "Our second competitor, young Gohan, has proven in his match against Kibito to be a brutally efficient fighter. How will he go against this unstoppable powerhouse?"

_-How can you let a dead man live?-_

Gohan smiled broadly, waving to the crowd that began chanting his name, before returning his attention to the chuckling Spopovich, his cheerful facade melting into one of pure rage. Cracking his knuckles, Gohan growled, "By the time I'm through with you, you are going to wish you'd never laid a hand on Videl."

As soon as the gong was struck Gohan blurred forward, delivering a punishing blow to Spopovich's chest, and sending the larger man flying backwards with such force that not only did he slam into the ring wall, he bounced back far enough to land on the tile again.

_-Forgiven to me / You're forgiven to me-_

Gohan began internally berating himself. 'Stupid! I got so caught up in my anger that he's lost already!' He would have continued in this vein if his sensitive ears didn't overhear an interesting conversation on the side.

_-You're just another nightmare walking to me-_

Walking over to the announcer, one of the stadium monks asked, "Does that count as a ring out?"

Honestly, the blonde announcer had no idea; plus, he wanted to see Spopovich get the crap kicked out of him. With this in mind, he inclined his head towards Gohan, replying, "Do _you_ want to get in the middle of this and tell him?"

_-You were driven to me / Now you're given to me-_

Deep inside, the monk wanted to see vengeance meted out as badly as he did, so, shrugging, he replied, "He landed back in the ring. I didn't see nothin' else."

Holding the microphone to his lips, the announcer declared, "Spopovich landed back inside the ring; the match will continue!"

_-How can I let a nightmare live?-_

Gohan smirked to himself. So, they were going to let him keep fighting so long as Spopovich wound up back in the ring huh? That was an opportunity too good to pass up. Watching Spopovich stagger back to his feet, Gohan asked tauntingly, "Do you realise how outclassed you are yet? You're not laughing now are you?" Powering up to his maximum in his base form, Gohan chuckled himself, "Let's play."

_-To be purified in fire-_

Charging forward, Gohan slammed Spopovich with another powerful punch, again sending him rebounding off the surrounding wall, although he made sure not to hit the same place; he didn't want the wall collapsing after all. This time, when Spopovich bounced back, he didn't let him rest, sending him careening to the side, and into another wall, with a jumping spin kick. When Spopovich returned to the ring again, Gohan slammed him with a ki packed punch, the blow so powerful the huge brute was sent careening into one wall, flew clear across the ring into the other, and bounced back towards Gohan.

The Demi-Saiyan clenched his fists. He was just getting started.

_-Anaesthetic for the pain-_

"Wow," Videl breathed in amazement, "And I thought _Kaen_ had anger problems."

"I do," the young warrior replied from behind her, "What you're seeing now isn't anger."

"Then what is it?"

_-As the final words erupt from your mouth-_

"Vengeance." Kaen's reply was simple and to the point. "Spopovich hurt his mate - or potential mate, at least - and for that he must suffer an enraged Saiyan's wrath."

Curious, and a touch embarrassed, Videl asked, "What do you mean 'mate'? I've heard you say the word before."

_-Who will remember your name?-_

Wrapping an arm around her mate, Pi explained, "We Saiyans don't 'marry' like humans do. There are no legal ties connecting us; no, what we have goes much deeper than that. When we find the right partner, we take them as a life mate, bonding our soul to theirs in the simplest and most primal of 'rituals'. No one knows exactly how or why it happens, only that when the two consume each other's blood, something happens on a genetic level to link them for life. When we take a life mate, it's more than just an agreement; we will literally never again take a mate, even should they perish, and in fact tend to follow them to the grave."

_-Forgiven to me / You're forgiven to me-_

Hoping she wasn't about to anger her friends, and knowing just how violent Kaen could be, Videl commented, "No offence, but that sounds a little too... romantic, for a race of warriors, and highly impractical given the high risk of early death."

_-You're just another dead man living to me-_

Pi just smiled, "None taken. You're not the first person to say that. When people hear about Saiyans, they picture us as animalistic and primal, but we're a bit more than that. See, this impracticability has lead more than one researcher to believe that we Saiyans weren't always like this."

"What do you mean?" the human girl asked.

_-Forgiven to me / You're all giving to me-_

"No one knows what Saiyans were like when the race began, back on our original home world of Saiya," Kaen explained, "Scientists and philosophers have taken the act of bonding a life mate to mean that, at one point, our race was potentially the pinnacle of society, but when the original Super Saiyan laid waste our planet when he lost control of his power, it's theorised that the remnants of the race lost something. Perhaps with the destruction of everything they knew they 'went feral', or something, before rediscovering themselves as powerful warriors on the planet that would be known as Vegeta, after our first 'new' ruler; we may never know."

"Wow, that's surprisingly deep and moving," Videl commented, before asking another question, "Another terms I've heard before is 'Super Saiyan'; what is that?"

_-How can you let a dead man live?-_

"You know when Vegeta had golden hair before?" Pi countered. "That. It's a genetic power-up. That's the first level of Super Saiyan, of which two have been discovered so far. Now, I've never witnessed the second level before, but from what I've heard, the hair elongates and straightens a little, the eyes take on a bit more of a blue tone to the previous teal, and the Saiyan's form becomes surrounded by the occasional burst of blue static lightning."

_-Forgiven to me / You're forgiven to me-_

"You said you'd never seen Super Saiyan Two before," Videl began, seeming to stumble on the correct name by accident, "But from the description, someone obviously is one; who?" Kaen and Pi remained silent, simply turning their attention to the ring, grins on their faces.

_-You're just another nightmare walking to me-_

Gohan was having a grand old time, working off some stress and anger by playing a nice game of tetherball, using the massive form of Spopovich as the ball. However, he soon came to the end of what he wanted to do, and decided to end the fight now so, when Spopovich bounced back again, he gave him a quick knee, to keep his recoil to a minimum, but still keeping him airborne, before sending him flying up and over the stadium with a flip kick.

_-You were driven to me / Now you're given to me-_

Watching in awe, the announcer took note of the pattern the impact craters in the wall made; across the three walls of the stadium seats, in bold letters, was spelt 'GOHAN SON'. "Well folks, there you have it," he declared, "Once we confirm that Spopovich is, in fact, still alive, Gohan will be declared the winner by, of all things, a stadium-out."

Grinning, Gohan commented, "You might want to start your search with Hercule's parking space."

_-No longer will the nightmare live-_

Running over to greet her quasi-boyfriend, Videl exclaimed, "Gohan, that was... wow. I'm speechless."

He grinned cheekily, "That's a first."

"Gohan!" She whinged, thumping him on the arm, "I'm being serious!" Switching moods in an instant, she smiled up at him shyly, asking, "You did that for me?"

"Of course I did," he smiled back, wrapping an arm around the shorter girl, "I can't have anyone hurting my student, can I?"

_-To be purified in fire-_

When Videl's face fell a little at the 'student' comment, Kaen supplied, "Videl, do you know that to us Saiyans, the word 'student' can mean something _completely_ different to what it does to humans?"

Fighting back a blush, Gohan growled, "Shut up!"

_-Anaesthetic for the pain-_

Grinning, Kaen continued regardless, "You see, unless their job is as a trainer, Saiyan males only train with two types of females."

Raising the arm not around Videl, Gohan charged a blast, "I said shut up you little insect! Don't you have a match to get to?"

_-As the final words erupt from your mouth-_

Smirking like a prick as he walked cockily out to the arena, following Shin, he proved enough of a distraction for Pi to sidle up to Videl and whisper in her ear, "The two types of females that Saiyan males will train are family, and partners, and I'm pretty sure you're not family." In a flash, Videl remembered Gohan telling her that, to Kaen and Pi, training was like dating, and if what the pair had just said was correct, the same was true for all Saiyan males, Gohan included.

Whipping his head around to face Pi, Gohan barked, "What did you say to her?"

Pi just stuck her tongue out, replying, "Nothing she didn't already know."

_-Who will remember your name?-_

Shin took in his opponent, studying him carefully. After the display Gohan put on in the previous match, he was almost positive that Gohan was the one Spopovich and Yamu were looking for, which meant that, in order for his plan to succeed, he needed to verse him in the next match. However, to do that he had to get past this wildcard in his plans, the warrior known as Kaen.

_-Walking the line that the world has drawn-_

'How does he know about Babidi and the Majin?' Shin screamed in his mind, 'The only beings that should still remember Majin Buu dwell not in the land of the living, and Bibidi's son was unknown until less than a month ago, so how does he know the name?'

Focusing his mind, Shin reached out telepathically, trying to scan Kaen's mind for the information he desired. What he found, however, caused him to recoil in shock, and a good deal of pain. 'It's like a psychic minefield!' He exclaimed mentally, 'It... It's almost like he's more than one person!'

_-Fighting for balance alone in the dark-_

Setting the thought aside with a shake of his head, he mused, 'No matter. Every mortal has a weakness, and I know I have the power to stall until I find his.'

_-Will you carry the burden the world has grown?-_

Shin wouldn't get that chance, however, as the second the gong was struck Kaen blurred forward, and before the purple-skinned man could even register that the fight had begun, he was staring up at the cloudless blue sky, the feel of grass against the back of his neck. Sitting up in shock, he noticed the smirking face of Kaen looking down at him. "Sorry Shin," Kaen shrugged, "I can't stay and play; gotta save my energy for my match with Gohan." With that, Kaen calmly walked away from the ring, pausing a moment to add, "Oh, and I also don't appreciate people trying to monkey around in my head, got it?"

'Un... Unbelievable,' Shin thought to himself, 'I didn't even see him move...'

_-Will you destroy everything in your sight?-_

"So, are you ready?"

After his match, Pi had again used the break between sets of four matches to drag her mate off to talk, under the excuse of 'getting a drink'; sure, they _did_ get a drink, but they didn't need to walk so far away to do that. This time, however, it was Pi questioning Kaen about _his_ readiness, instead of the other way around.

Kaen, however, had no worries. Throwing his empty can into the air, and vaporising it with a simple blast, he replied in an almost bored tone, "Not a problem."

_-You alone can give this one more try-_

"Kaen, look at me," Pi demanded sternly, "I know you; you're over confident. Now, I want you to look me in the eyes and tell me you're honestly not worried about the match."

Sighing, Kaen did as told, turning to look her in the eyes. "You're right Pi," he stated begrudgingly, "I am often, if not usually, too confident in my abilities. I'm not going to lie to you and say I know for a fact I'll win. You and I both know Gohan is stronger than me. However, I am confident I have the skills to make up the difference." Smiling, he added, "Besides, Gohan doesn't have the motivation I do. I _will_ see you in the finals."

_-You alone will bury me tonight-_

"You'd better," Pi replied, hitting him on the arm, "If I've done all this work to get there and you don't make it, I will be _very_ upset."

He just smiled, kissing her on the forehead. "Don't worry about me. I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve."

"Kaen," Pi drawled, "You don't _have_ sleeves." Her stern mask held for a moment, before the two burst into laughter.

_-To be purified in fire-_

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the fourth quarter of the World Martial Arts Tournament!" The announcer shouted, to the cheers of the crowd, "We are down to our final four contestants. That's right folks; it's the end game. Which of these four fighters will take home the title? Let's find out with the first semi-final between the former champion Hercule, and the rising star Pi!"

As the two contestants strode out towards the ring, he continued his introductions, "Everyone knows Mister Satan, but I'll introduce him nonetheless. As the previous world champion, and the man credited with defeating the monster Cell, Hercule Satan has become a household name. However, his current opponent seems to be a champion-slayer, having defeated both the former champion Goku, and the man predicted to be Goku's greatest threat, Vegeta. Can she do it again and take down a third potential champion?"

_-Anaesthetic for the pain-_

Pi wore a cocky, confident smirk on her face; after all, she knew that nothing short of the end of the world could stop her winning this match. Hercule, however, was very, very scared. This girl was one of those freak people, like that man she fought who turned his hair blonde like those guys at the Cell Games, so he knew he couldn't win, and he knew _she_ knew that too.

_-As the final words erupt from your mouth-_

Putting on a show of bravado for the crowd as the gong sounded, Hercule roared once, before booming, "You may have beaten those posers before, but now you face a _real_ champion, so I'm gonna give you a chance to back out. Hell, 'coz I'm in such a good mood, I'm even gonna give you five million zenni as a conciliation prize." This was his subtle way of offering her a bribe, but when she just scowled at him he offered weakly, "Ten? Twenty?"

_-Who will remember you now?-_

"You have no honour Satan," Pi spat disgustedly, "And I'm not whoring mine out. I _was_ going to put up a show of it, make it look like you didn't get steamrolled, but after that shameful display..." She phased out, reappearing behind him, and with a single, precise chop to the base of the neck, Hercule dropped like a sack of potatoes.

"Did you see that folks? The announcer exclaimed, "Our rising star Pi has just taken out the former champion with a single blow! Incredible! As the person to dethrone last tournament's champion, if the final ends in a draw, Pi will take home the title!"

_-Who will remember your name?-_

As the tournament monks carted the former champion off on a stretcher, and Pi lazily walked back to the fighter's lounge, the announcer declared, "And now, the second semi-final, between Gohan and Kaen!"

As the two marched out, side by side, with matching smirks on their faces, Kaen commented, "Hey Gohan, care to make a little wager on this match?"

"What do you have in mind?" Gohan replied, waving absently to the crowd, and causing more than one girl to swoon.

_-Remember your name-_

Kaen grinned, "If I win this match, in the runner-up match you will have to declare, to the entire audience, that you are fighting Hercule for the rite to date his daughter."

Gohan's face waged war between a grimace and a grin. "Alright then, but if _I_ win, you are going to have to address Vegeta as 'My Prince', in a respectful tone, for a solid week of _my_ choosing."

"You know, your mother is going to kill me," Kaen commented out of the blue.

"Why's that?"

_-Remember your name / (Forgiven to me, you're forgiven to me)-_

Kaen smirked again, "You're starting to think like me." By this point, the two had reached the centre of the ring, so Kaen paused, holding out his hand. "Do we have a deal?"

Gohan couldn't help the shudder that ran down his spine at Kaen's tone. However, the chance of embarrassing Kaen that badly was worth his rival's wager; he'd been planning on doing something like that anyway, it's just that this gave him the excuse not to chicken out. Shaking Kaen's hand, Gohan replied simply, "Deal."

For a moment, Kaen's eyes seemed to glow red. "Then let the games begin."

_-Remember your name / (Forgiven to me, you're forgiven to me)-_

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

I know it may seem a little rushed, having three fights in a single chapter, but, come on, it's Hercule. Besides, I wanted the fight between Gohan and Kaen to have an entire chapter.

So, what did you guys think of Gohan's revenge match? Was it worth it? At the request of my beta reader, what Gohan carried out has been officially termed the Majin Pinball Special.

One thing I feel I should clarify, when I said to guess where Pi got her new style from, I meant where _in the story itself_, as in, which chapter. I think, by now, it has become pretty obvious that the information came from the alternates, my question was to guess which one.

Now, Vegeta. I agree that I may have portrayed Vegeta a little... one-sided. Rest assured, however, that Vegeta will be back bigger, better, badder. I have a special dose of kickass in store for him later in the story, so Vegeta fans, look forward to it.


	13. C13: Blood Brothers

--- Disturbance, Book 1: Convergence ---

Chapter C13 - Blood Brothers

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-Watch your back because the next man is comin'-_

Falcon smiled to herself happily, chirping, "So, anyone care to place a wager on this match?"

"No fucking way!" Hawk exclaimed.

She batted her eyelashes at him coyly, asking, "Why? Afraid you're gonna lose more of your money to me?"

The brown-haired teen shook his head. "Money comes and money goes. What's got me terrified is Phoenix; he would literally kill me if he found out I bet against him." The other teens nodded their head in agreement.

"Aww come on!" She whined, "I'm willing to bet all the money I've won so far today, all forty-eight thousand, on Kaen winning. Is _no-one_ interested?"

_-And you don't know if the next man is dumbin'-_

Before any of the gang could reply, a new player spoke up, "I'll take that bet."

Turning to face the speaker, Falcon grinned at Yamcha. "So, you're willing to bet forty-eight thousand on Gohan winning?"

He nodded, "More than that. I'll raise you to an even hundred, if you're game."

The redhead just smirked, sticking out her hand, "You're on!"

As he shook her hand, Yamcha couldn't help the shiver that ran down his spine. "Why do I get the feeling I should just hand over my money now and be done with it?"

Still smirking, she replied with a shrug, "Pattern recognition."

_-Survival of the fittest what it is-_

As he watched the two fighters converse good-naturedly as they approached the ring, the announcer began his introductions. "I'm sure neither of these fighters need an introduction, but nonetheless, I feel I must. Despite different styles, these two combatants seem to fight in the same manner. Both defeated the team of Kibito and Shin with ruthless efficiency, and defeated the team of Spopovich and Yamu with plain ruthlessness." Watching the two shake hands, he added, "And they're such good sports too! We are surely in for an amazing match!"

'You have no idea...' Kaen mused to himself, walking over to the edge of the ring and calling out, "Hey, mister announcer guy, can you do us a favour?"

Stunned that one of the fighters would be addressing him, the announcer replied dazedly, "Uh, sure, what?"

_-I got yo back, you got my back, and that's the biz-_

"Can you let us know when the match is half over?" At the blank look he received, Kaen supplied, "You know, time-wise?"

Blinking behind his sunglasses, the blonde announcer replied, "Sure, but why?"

Kaen just grinned, "Gohan and I have mutually agreed to give the crowd a bit of a show first, give them their money's worth, before we get down to business and settle things."

Smiling broadly as he envisioned the profit they'd be turning in this year, he replied, "Yeah sure, no problem."

Nodding, Kaen walked back to the centre of the ring, the two opponents bowing respectfully to each other. Adorning matching smirks, the two fighters dropped into stance, awaiting the sound of the gong.

_-Blood is rushing through my veins, I got the power-_

"Come on son!" Chichi shouted, standing in her seat. "Take him out, and bring home the title!"

As she sat down again, Bulma commented, "You really believe he's going to win don't you?"

"Of course he is," the younger woman replied, "Everyone knows Gohan is stronger than Kaen; it's no contest."

With a barely perceptible sigh, Bulma argued, "You do know strength isn't everything right?"

"How can _you_ say that Bulma?" Chichi shot back, "I mean, look at who you're married to."

"Exactly," Bulma nodded, "Look who I'm married to. Vegeta was stronger than Pi by far, and he still lost." Giving that a few seconds to sink in, she added, "You know Chi, with all your talk about strength being the be-all-and-end-all, you're sounding almost like Hercule."

A shudder ran down both women's spines, as they turned their attention to the battle about to commence below.

_-Channel the energy, and with my strength I will devour-_

As the thunderous sound of the gong rang out across the arena, the two fighters sped forward, a second thunderous noise ringing out as their forearms met. Donning matching smirks, the two fighters broke apart, launching waves of attacks, each of which were blocked. Fist met forearm, foot met knee, and not a single blow landed. Breaking pattern, Gohan ducked to sweep Kaen's legs out from under him, but the older fighter simply flipped over him so they were standing back-to-back. Then, without turning around, they began throwing blows at each other backwards, all of which were again blocked.

_-Sickening thoughts are running through my head-_

"Wow, they're really going at it," Videl commented.

"Nah, they're just playing around," Pi replied with a shrug.

"Why?" The human girl asked.

Pi shrugged again. "They know that once they really get going, it won't take long to settle things, so they're putting on a bit of a show for the crowd first. Besides, this is fun for them."

_-That's when I realize I'm glad I'm not dead-_

Spinning around, Gohan through a powerful right hook at Kaen's head, only to have the blow met by his opponent's fist. As the impact registered, the Demi-Saiyan swung his leg up to block the incoming knee. Following that, he threw out his left elbow, only to have it be met in kind by Kaen's. For the next couple of minutes they continued in this fashion, attacks meeting attacks of the same kind, before, simultaneously, they redirected a right hook to each other's faces, the force of which sent the pair flying backwards from each other.

Spinning in mid-air to land on his feet, Gohan rushed towards Kaen, only to have the older fighter charge a ball of ki in his hand, throwing it forward with a grin. "Blast Burn!"

_-Corruption and abuse-_

"What?" April exclaimed in shock, standing in her seat.

"Calm down," her mate soothed, "There must be a logical explanation."

Kellre nodded, "The attack was half fire anyway, he probably just created his own version of it."

"What's the problem?" Bulma asked.

Truniz replied, "The boy shouldn't be able to use that technique. It was his brother's."

"Oran?" the blue-haired scientist asked in confusion.

"No," April replied, shaking her head, "His older brother: Korin."

_-The salesman of our blood-_

Seeing how slow the blast was moving, Gohan paid it no mind, leaping over the deep red ball of ki as he rushed his opponent. He was therefore unprepared when Kaen barked "Detonate!" and the energy ball exploded, sending out visible, spherical shockwaves through the air, and knocking him out of the sky.

As he landed roughly on his feet, Kaen blurred forward, and Gohan was hard-pressed to block the flurry of attacks. Growling in annoyance Gohan over-blocked Kaen's next punch, sending the older fighter off balance, before sending him skyward bound with an uppercut. Cupping his hands to his right hip, Gohan charged a ball of blue ki, chanting, "Ka me ha me..."

_-For the public's craving-_

Throwing his hands out to stop in mid-air, Kaen smirked to himself as a midnight black aura burst into life around him. Adopting a similar position, only with his palms flat as they faced each other, he began charging up a purple ball of energy as he shouted, "Try this on for size!"

"HA!"

"Gallick Gun Fire!"

_-Existence in the dark-_

"What the!" April spluttered, choking on her drink as she performed the classic spit-take.

Subconsciously clapping her on the back, Avarrdo muttered, "This doesn't make sense..."

"What's the big deal?" Bulma asked, taking in the looks of shock the Saiyans wore, "I thought Saiyans used each others techniques all the time."

"Yeah," Chichi agreed, "From what I've heard, it took Goku all of five minutes to master a technique that took Roshi fifty years. Why is it such a surprise that Kaen's using one of Vegeta's techniques?"

April grimaced, "Kaen is... different."

_-It's in our nature to destroy ourselves-_

"Due to an... accident, that happened while he was young, Kaen in unable to use most techniques not specifically designed for or by him," Avarrdo explained.

"Why?" Bulma asked, curious, "What sort of accident could do prevent him being able to use certain techniques?"

Kellre answered for them, "All techniques, whether the designer is aware of it or not, use one or more of the five elements; well six technically. Because of what happened when they were younger, Kaen is only able to use techniques using Fire, and Pi Earth."

"Huh. I thought it was just a theme they had going," Cherri muttered.

Truniz frowned, "If only it were that simple. What we're witnessing here shouldn't be possible."

_-It's in our nature to kill ourselves-_

Watching the beam duel taking place, Krillin couldn't help commenting, "Is anyone else getting a major sense of deja vu from this?"

Goku scratched his head, "Not seein' it Krill."

Slapping his forehead, Krillin explained, "Replace the arena background with a rocky wasteland, and replace Gohan and Kaen with two Saiyans who they look a lot like."

At Goku's continued clueless look, the scowling Vegeta barked, "It's like _our_ first fight Kakarott." Turning his attention back to the fight, he added, "What I want to know is, how does he know my technique?"

"He learned it from you, duh," Krillin supplied.

Vegeta just shook his head. "I haven't used the Gallick Gun for years.

_-It's in our nature to kill each other-_

As he strained to keep Gohan's beam at bay, Kaen struggled to keep the Gallick Gun stable, but it was a losing battle, and he knew it. He could feel that the waveform was starting to disintegrate, and if he held the blast for too much longer, it was only a matter of time before it collapsed in upon itself, most likely in an extremely painful fashion; in short, it was time to cut and run.

Cutting the flow of ki, Kaen clasped his hands together, batting the blue beam out of the arena. He quickly blurred out of the way as Gohan, sensing a moment of weakness, sped forward, intent on driving his fist through Kaen's stomach. Rather than press forward an attack, however, Kaen simply landed calmly on the tile, facing the still floating Gohan, with a soft pair of taps.

_-It's in our nature to kill, kill, kill!-_

Turning to face his opponent, Gohan commented, "I can't say I expected you to use that move."

Kaen just grinned. "No one did." His aura shifting from black to yellow - but clearly not the gold of the Super Saiyan - Kaen half crossed his arms, focusing ki, before adding, "Let's see you block THIS!"

Eyes widening, Gohan remembered this technique. Utilizing his super speed, he raced away from the arena, which his perceptive eyes noticed glowing a faint yellow, before Kaen raised his right hand, first two fingers extended, and a massive pillar of ki erupted forth from the tiled surface, easily encompassing all but the corners of the fighting arena. Sighing in relief at having dodged the Giant Storm, Gohan heard Kaen yell, from within the pillar of ki, "Bomber DX!"

_-It was a dream and then it hit me, reality struck-_

"What?" April shrieked again, "That's one of Nappa's techniques; where the hell did he learn that?"

"What's the problem? I thought you already knew something was up?" Chichi asked.

Truniz shook his head, "It would appear it's even less simple than we first thought."

Curious beyond all belief, Bulma had to ask, "Why?"

Kellre grimaced, "Because Kaen has never met Nappa."

_-And now my life is all shifty and it all moves fast-_

Sighing, Avarrdo commented, "We may have to accept that the Kaen down there is not the Kaen we know."

"You think it might be some alternate Kaen?" Chichi asked.

When they nodded, Bulma added, "What are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing," Kellre replied quickly, "If that's not actually Kaen, the only thing we can do for now is not draw attention to the fact we know."

Putting a hand to his chin, Avarrdo mused, "But why would he want us to know..."

_-Close to the buck 50, and we all stand strong-_

Calmly batting the yellow blast aside, Gohan called out, "You're gonna have to be more original than that. You forget I fought Nappa."

"Riot Javelin!"

A light blue blast arcing up to him was his reply. Ducking quickly as the blast sailed over head, he watched it go for a moment, commenting, "Okay, that was new." Turning back to the ring, he noticed, once the light from the Giant Storm finally faded, that Kaen was already preparing another blast, his cyan aura billowing like a candle flame, with his right hand at his hip, two fingers extended. Growling, Gohan decided he'd had quite enough blast-dodging for now, so he readied a technique of his own, raising two fingers to his forehead.

_-In respect to the family in the times of our insanity-_

The two fighters threw their arms forward at the same time, different cries ringing out, but heralding strangely familiar attacks.

"Special Beam Cannon!"

"Demon Corkscrew!"

_-And in the words of profanity-_

Gaping, Krillin asked, "Where the hell did he learn that?"

As he watched the two near-identical blasts duel, Piccolo commented, "I think... I may not be as original as I thought..."

_-I describe our dysfunctional family-_

"That's odd..." Cherri muttered quietly.

"What is?" Her mate asked, wondering what she'd noticed.

"His aura," she replied, "I've noticed it changes colours. Should it do that?"

Narrowing his eyes, Truniz focused on Kaen's appearance, noticing the light blue aura now surrounding him. He smirked, remembering clearly how his aura had been yellow before, and black before that. "Bro," he called out, "I think I know how he's able to use other people's techniques."

Kellre nodded, having just come to the same conclusion himself. "However," the older brother remarked, "The question then becomes, where did he learn how to do that?"

"And the question of 'where did he learn them' still remains," Avarrdo pointed out.

_-Blood brothers keep it real to the end-_

This time it was Gohan who cut his beam early, as he sensed Kaen's blast beginning to drill through his. Charging his hand with ki, the Demi-Saiyan teen slapped the blast across the arena, only to phase in front of it and slap it back down towards Kaen. The older Saiyan, however, just calmly slapped the blast skyward; for a short moment, while the afterimage of the blast remained, it looked like a triangle-headed arrow pointing at the flame-haired fighter.

Setting down calmly on the tile, Gohan commented casually, "You know, you used far too much energy in that blast for the strength of it."

Kaen grimaced. "Really? Damn. I thought there was something I was doing wrong." He shrugged, adding, "I just figured everyone else sucked at efficient ki management."

Gohan smirked, "That's typical of you, thinking everyone else is worse than you."

Kaen smirked back, "Don't hate me because I'm perfect."

Gohan just shook his head, replying, "You ready?"

_-Deeper than the thoughts that you think? Not a trend!-_

With a flare of ki, Kaen's body seemed to catch fire, starting with his chest, and quickly spreading. In seconds, his entire body was engulfed by flames; more accurately, in seconds, his entire body _was_ flame. Somehow, Gohan could still tell Kaen was smirking, despite not having an actual face, as he commented, "I'm just getting warmed up."

Ignoring the terrible pun, and the shock of the crowd and announcer that Kaen had seemingly spontaneously combusted, the two fighters began circling each other, staring each other down as they awaited the sign to continue. The moment was broken, however, when two monks came running out from backstage, holding a bucket, and threw it's contents at Kaen; they, believing him on fire, intended to put him out.

When the water was a hair's breadth from him, Kaen's fiery form exploded, the water evaporating instantly from the heat. It appeared, at first, that the water had killed him, until the fire-wrought fighter 'exploded' back into being a couple of feet away. Glaring at the monks, Kaen commented dryly, "Don't do that."

Filing that little bit of information away for later, Gohan rushed his opponent, only to go flying through him. Feeling a little medium-rare from the heat, Gohan surrounded himself with an aura to protect him from the flames, before the two fighters began their battle anew.

_-Corruption and abuse-_

Watching the two fighters battle, Videl commented offhandedly, "So Kaen can do the 'turn into energy' thing too huh? So did Kat teach him, or she he teach her?"

"Neither," Pi replied, keeping her eyes on the fight, "They both learnt from a mutual friend of ours named Viola. We've been out of contact for a while, but we used to travel around together."

Turning to face the older girl, Videl asked, "Do _you_ know that trick too?"

Pi just smiled secretly and turned her attention back to the fight.

_-The salesman of our blood-_

Gohan was swiftly getting annoyed with his opponent. Maintaining the ki barrier to allow him to hit Kaen, as well as to prevent himself being burnt, was taking energy he really couldn't spare at this level, but every time he dropped the shield, Kaen would go incorporeal again, and he'd be forced to raise the shield once more. It was, to say the least, infuriating. Suddenly realising something, Gohan paused, asking, "You're made of fire, right?"

While his fiery form hid much, Gohan could tell Kaen was giving him a 'no shit' glare as he replied, "That's the general idea yeah. What's your point?"

"I've gone flying through you several times," he commented, "So how come my clothes haven't been burnt?"

_-For the public's craving-_

"Because I don't want them to," Kaen replied with a shrug. "You forget I can control fire completely, including what it does and doesn't burn. And while I'm sure the legions of fangirls in the crowd would disagree with me, I don't particularly want to see you naked."

"I think you're exaggerating the 'legions of fangirls' thing," Gohan replied, grinning roguishly, "'Coz if there were, I'm sure Videl would have a field day kicking the crap through all of them."

_-Existence in the dark-_

"Probably," Kaen replied, "She is a fiery little thing." The irony of the statement was not lost on Kaen.

Gaping in shock, Gohan asked, "Did... Did you just compliment her?"

If a being made entirely of fire could sweat, Kaen would have had a massive sweat drop running down the side of his face. Holding a hand to his head, he muttered, "I must be coming down with something..."

Gohan smirked at the opening Kaen had left. "I'd say you might have a cold, but..."

Kaen grinned back at him, "Smartass."

_-It's in our nature to destroy ourselves-_

"And that's halftime folks!" The announcer declared suddenly, "Just fifteen minutes remain in this match before we need to go to the judges. I don't envy them, having to decide which of these two amazing fighters are the better."

The two fighters looked a little startled that it was that time already. Kaen was the first to recover, the pyromancer grinning and saying, "Looks like playtime's over. Time to settle things."

Grinning back, Gohan replied, "Looks like."

When nothing else was said, Kaen commented, "Oh, you want me to go first? Alright then." Bending his knees slightly and clenching his fists, Kaen added, "Time to show you what you came here to see: the pinnacle of my power." With a rising shout, a raging red aura flared into life around Kaen's fiery body. As the wind picked up, swirling around him, his power level began rising too.

_-It's in our nature to kill ourselves-_

With a start, Gohan noticed Kaen's power level reach the peak for a non-Ascended Saiyan, and keep going, and as it did, the red of Kaen's form began to bleed gold, slowly spreading across his body. With a final burst of ki, the wind exploded outwards, leaving a golden-flamed Kaen, surrounded by a second blood-red flame aura, looking all the world like the flame on the end of a candle.

Gohan was gaping; he knew he was. 'How?' He wondered to himself. 'How can a simple power up provide _that_ much power?' Narrowing his eyes, his genius mind reached a satisfactory solution to the question. 'Unless...' Smirking, Gohan commented, "I think the warm-up is well and truly over now." Phasing out, Gohan reappeared behind him, coating his hand with ki, before jabbing Kaen in the back with his extended fingers, and causing him to burn out, returning to his normal form; well, his Super Saiyan form. Gohan grinned triumphantly, crowing, "Aha, I knew it!"

_-It's in our nature to kill each other-_

Kaen spun around, staring at him owlishly, "How in the blue hell did you _do_ that?"

Still grinning, the teen replied, "First lesson Piccolo taught me: when you have a mountain coming at you, the easiest solution is to blow it up."

Scrubbing a hand through his golden hair, Kaen shouted, "That could mean anything!"

"Yeah," Gohan smirked, "Now you know how it feels."

That stopped the time-travelling Super Saiyan in his tracks. "Wow," he muttered amazedly, "I _am_ an asshole."

His moment of triumph over, Gohan asked, "So, when did you ascend?"

He shrugged, "'Bout four, five months ago."

_-It's in our nature to kill, kill, kill-_

"Wow, you guys ascended recently?" Goku commented excitedly, "Congratulations!"

Twitching in barely repressed anger at Goku's stupidity, Vegeta barked, "You don't get it do you Kakarott! To them, five months ago they were forty years in the past!"

"The man's quite astute," Pi replied with a shrug, "We've been Super Saiyans since before we met you guys."

Ignoring the incredulous cries of Kakarott and Cueball (or the man formerly known as Cueball, in any case), Vegeta exclaimed, "If you're a Super Saiyan, why the fuck did you pull that shit before?"

Pi knew she couldn't tell Vegeta the real reason; one of the conditions of Kaen's tests is that no one knew about them until they were over. Instead, she grinned cheekily, replying, "I did it because wounding your pride is a _lot_ more fun than wounding your body."

_-It's in our nature to destroy ourselves-_

Taking a step back and making a mock bow, Kaen quipped, "Well, I've shown you mine. Time to show me yours." All pretence of humour left him as he added, in a deadly serious tone, "Hold nothing back."

"Are you serious?" Gohan exclaimed.

"As a heart attack," Kaen replied smoothly. "When I beat you, I want to be able to say I beat you at your best."

"Okay," Gohan shrugged, "Your funeral." Ascending into a Super Saiyan was second nature to Gohan, as simple as breathing, having lived as one for over a fortnight. Reaching the second level, however, required a lot more effort. Adopting a similar stance to what Kaen had before, once again the wind picked up, fiercer than before, as it swirled around Gohan's form. His energy rising rapidly, his muscles began bulging, his hair stood up straighter, and arcs of blue static lightning began shooting around his form, as he reached the peak of his power.

_-It's in our nature to kill ourselves-_

"So that's Super Saiyan Two," Pi commented, "Impressive."

That got Videl's attention. "_Gohan?_" she exclaimed incredulously, "_Gohan_ is the only Super Saiyan Two?"

"I wouldn't say 'only'," Pi replied with a shrug, "I suspect Goku's reached that level by now, and Vegeta probably has too; he's just saving it for a special occasion I'd wager."

_-It's in our nature to kill each other-_

"Not bad Cellotto," Kaen remarked, clapping his hands, "Not bad at all."

Exhaling as he finished his power-up, Gohan asked dryly, "Well, shall we begin?" With a shared smirk and a silent nod, the two fighters dashed forward, streaks of red and golden light to the untrained eye, before they met with a thunderous crash, the shock of which actually knocked several front row spectators from their seats. And with that, the dance of lights took to the sky.

_-It's in our nature to kill, kill, kill!-_

"It must be one of them," Spopovich commented, staring at the strange clock-like thing in his hand. "Look at the way the meter is reacting."

The newly healed duo were hiding out behind the wall on the east side of the arena, just before the fighter's lounge, but after the end of the stands. "That may be so Spopovich, but our orders are clear," Yamu replied, "We are only to get the strongest, and with all that energy, there's no way of telling who that is. We'll drain whoever wins the tournament, but until then, we wait."

_-Again and again-_

Five minutes into the second half of the match, Gohan was beginning to regret the 'lets waste the first half of the match' agreement. Kaen's apparent maximum was somewhere around what his father's had been during the Cell Games, meaning Gohan should have probably beaten him by now, but Kaen was surprisingly good at surviving; it wasn't the best word, but the meaning was mostly right.

Taking a slight breather, Gohan called out, "Alright, how the hell are you doing this? You're weaker than Cell was when I mopped the floor with him."

"It's simple," Kaen replied, sounding a little out of breath, "Cell was constructed out of the cells of the greatest fighters Earth had ever seen; as such, he didn't have all that much experience dealing with a stronger opponent. I have no such trouble."

Gohan sighed irritably, "You're got an answer for everything don't you?"

_-Corruption and abuse-_

Kaen grinned. "Well, you know what they say." His body seemed to undergo mitosis, splitting evenly into two separate Kaens, before the pair replied, "Two heads are better than one. However-" The two Kaens split again, becoming four, "-there's something to be said for safety in numbers."

"Split form huh?" Gohan asked rhetorically, a grin on his face. He clasped his hands before him as though he were praying. "Well two can play at that game. Twelve Eyes Technique!"

As Gohan's image split into four, one of the Kaen's commented dryly, "I only count eight eyes."

"Oh shut up!" All four Gohan's replied together, "It's Tien's technique; he's got three eyes, so when he does it, there's a total of twelve."

Dropping into stance whilst airborne, a Kaen commented, "Well Gohan, looks like you just made your first mistake."

"Oh?" The Gohan's asked, "What's that?"

"Unlike yours, my copies are all at full strength."

_-The salesman of our blood-_

'This is getting... annoying,' Gohan scowled to himself, as one of the Kaen-clones self-destructed; the second to do so thus far. The four-on-four battle had quickly gotten out of hand. Kaen, true to his word, had easily taken the upper hand, with all four of him being at full strength, while the four Gohan's were all at a reduced level, putting them about equal. Additionally, all four Kaen's seemed to have completely separate identities, compared to the mostly shared identity the Split Form, or Twelve Eyes Technique, permitted.

Two Gohan clones had been defeated in the five minutes the battle royal had waged on, compared to only one Kaen clone; well, two now. However, unlike the Gohan clones, which faded away gracefully, dividing their remaining energy among the survivors, the Kaen clones exploded violently, in what looked like a burn-off of their remaining ki.

_-For the public's craving-_

With only five minutes left in the battle, both fighters knew it was time to bring out the big guns, but it was Kaen who acted first. One of the remaining two Kaens - the one Gohan assumed was the original - leapt high into the air, raising both hands above his head, while the second Kaen prevented either of the remaining Gohans from acting by forming a pair of black ki whips, and lashing their arms to their torsos.

A satisfied smirk on his face as he watched the pair of Gohan's struggling to get free, Kaen focused ki through his hands, preparing his most powerful technique; well, the most powerful one he could use in friendly, non-lethal combat anyways. As dark ki began amassing above his head, energy was literally ripped from the spectators, visible to the naked eye as brief lines of black connecting each person to the mass of ki.

_-Existence in the dark-_

By the time the pair of Gohans powered out of the ki binding them, the massive Hellfire Judgement deathball was complete, the giant ball of ki casting a shadow large enough to cover the arena. It's job completed, the remaining Kaen clone flared into it's fire form, using it's inherent elasticity to wrap around one of the remaining Gohans, before self-destructing, destroying the last split form, and returning Gohan to full strength; or what remained of it anyway.

_-It's in our nature to destroy ourselves-_

Staring incredulously up at Kaen, Gohan shouted, "You can't use an attack of that magnitude here! You'll level the stadium! Hell, you'll probably make the entire island disappear!"

Kaen just smirked down at him. "Oh, I have no intention of actually _throwing_ it." With a rising shout, dark energy began flowing down Kaen's arms, as he drained the massive ki ball of it's energy.

With a start, Gohan realised exactly what Kaen was doing; the technique he'd used was something like the Spirit Bomb, gathering other people's energy, and he was using that to bolster his own reserves. Scowling, he mused to himself, 'Two can play at that game!' Raising both hands to his forehead, palms laid over each other, Gohan started collecting ki for his trademark technique; the Masenko wave.

_-It's in our nature to kill ourselves-_

A fact a lot of people didn't know about the Masenko wave was that is was fuelled from ambient ki in the air. With a smirk, Gohan reasoned to himself that there was enough residual ki in the air from Kaen's three clones blowing up, let alone the battery of ki techniques Kaen used earlier, for the Masenko to be strong enough to have erased even Perfect Cell from existence with energy to spare.

Throwing his hands forward, Gohan launched his attack. "MASENKO-HA!"

Kaen smirked as he watched the golden beam approach, his body glowing with dark energy as he finished draining the Hellfire Judgement. Throwing his hands to either side, Kaen began preparing his own trademark technique; he felt it'd be the most poetic way to end the match. Throwing his hands forward, Kaen merged the two balls of red ki he held in his hands, firing the blast with a shout of "Chaos Inferno!"

_-It's in our nature to kill each other-_

As he watched the two beams duelling, Vegeta cast an eye over Pi, commenting sourly, "So that's how you knew the way to deflect my blast."

The Saiyan girl grinned cheekily, "Yup. Your attack is just a cheap knock-off of Kaen's as far as I'm concerned."

A vein bulging in his forehead, Vegeta growled, "Girl, I have had that technique for over ten years; I didn't 'knock-off' anyone else's."

"Oh I know," she replied with a shrug, "I guess it's just something about the way the both of you were brought up, or maybe it's in your blood or something; after all, as my uncle said, the two of you _are_ related distantly." She chose to deliberately ignore the sound of Vegeta's teeth gnashing.

_-It's in our nature to KILL, KILL, KILL!-_

As he watched the golden and crimson beams warring with each other, the announcer shouted excitedly, "Just sixty seconds remain in this breathtaking fight! It looks like it's going to come down to the wire folks!"

"Well, you heard him Gohan!" Kaen shouted over the roar of the ki war going on between them. "It's been fun, but it looks like it's time for me to win this thing." Gohan, in response to his words, simply poured more energy into the blast, in the hope of washing over Kaen, but the older fighter didn't fight back in kind. As the golden beam pushed ever closer, he continued, "You're strong; stronger than me, I'm not ashamed to admit that." As his hands began glowing blue, he roared, "But strength is worthless if you don't have STYLE! SOULFIRE!"

Two beams of blue light raced from Kaen's hands, spiralling around Kaen's Chaos Inferno, before arcing away from the duelling beams, until they reached about halfway down Gohan's Masenko. As the beams of blue ki made contact with the golden beam, Gohan was shocked to see his energy wave totally cancelled out; the flow wasn't cut, it was more as if the beam just ceased to exist.

Thinking quickly, Gohan spread his hands, erecting a wall of ki with a cry of "Shield!" but the blue ki, having merged into a single gout of flame, just broke straight through the barrier as if it wasn't there and washed over him. Gohan was again shocked to find that, as the blue flame hit him, he was forced out of Super Saiyan Two, and back to his normal form. He didn't have too long to think about this, however, as Kaen's fast approaching, and now un-apposed, ki beam sped towards him, slamming into his hastily crossed arms, and sending him flying out of the ring, and on to the grass outside the ring.

_-It's in our nature to destroy ourselves-_

"Unbelievable!" the announcer almost shrieked, "With a grand total of three seconds left on the clock, Kaen has sent his opponent out of the ring! Kaen goes through to the finals!" Dollar signs in his eyes, the announcer was _very_ glad they'd managed to track down a working video camera, as well as receive permission from the fighters to sell the footage; they were going to make a killing!

Landing slowly into the ring, Kaen shook his hands, muttering sourly, "Damnit, that always makes my hands numb..."

Climbing to his feet, Gohan asked curiously, "What the hell was that?"

"Soulfire," Kaen replied, still shaking the pins and needles from his hands, "Think of it as anti-ki."

Walking with his friend-slash-rival backstage again, he asked, "So that's why it cancelled out my blast _and_ knocked me out of Super Saiyan?"

Kaen nodded, "It's like anti-matter, only for ki, so it cancels out concentrations of ki, such as temporary transformations. It wouldn't, for example, have dropped someone like Cell out of his most powerful form, because that was a biological change."

"That was so cheap..." Gohan mock-whinged.

Kaen just grinned at him, "I came to win, not to make friends. Now, suck it up, and let your girlfriend comfort your loss."

"She's not my girlfriend," Gohan sighed.

"Not yet, but now you've got no excuse."

_-It's in our nature to kill ourselves-_

Before Gohan could comment, Pi raced forward to hug her mate, cheering, "Kaen, you did it! You won!"

Kaen smiled down at her. "That I did, and not before time too."

"What do you mean?" She asked curiously, her head cocked to one side.

His smile turned a little sheepish. "Without all the adrenaline flowing through my veins, I think my arms are paralysed..."

Smiling, Pi lead her mate over to the nearby bench, deciding that turnabout was fair play, as she began massaging Kaen's back and shoulders. Grinning over at Videl, she indicated with her head that the human girl should do the same, but Videl just flushed and looked away from her, returning her attention to consoling Gohan for his loss, and wishing him luck against her father.

_-It's in our nature to kill each other-_

Closing his eyes, Kaen tried to shut out all outside distractions and enjoy the moment, and he would have been successful, had Vegeta not walked over and barked, "How the hell did you learn my techniques boy?"

A smile tugging at his lips, the younger-but-older Saiyan replied cryptically, "A magician never reveals his secrets."

"I thought you were a warrior," the Prince sneered.

"A warrior is just a combat magician; he makes his enemies disappear," a new voice interjected; Avarrdo, for whatever reason, had returned.

Groaning, Kaen muttered sourly, "You gonna pester me about how I did that too old man?"

"Of course not," Kellre's voice commented; obviously, he'd come along as well, so, logically, Truniz was also brought along for the ride.

With a shrug that Kaen, with his eyes still closed, missed, Avarrdo continued, "If I asked you, you'd just give me the run around, and we'd do this merry little dance where nothing got done. We just came down here to say congratulations. I'll be honest, I didn't think you could win, but you pulled through."

Stunned, Kaen blinked dumbly for a few moments, before replying, "Uh, thanks, I guess, and yeah, I didn't think I'd win either for a minute there."

"And you were so confident before the fight," Pi jokingly bitched, punching his already dead arm playfully.

Glaring at the older Saiyans, Vegeta asked, "Aren't you curious about it?"

"Of course I am," Avarrdo replied with a shrug, "I'm just not stupid enough to actually _ask_."

_-It's in our nature to kill-_

To be continued...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's notes:

Sorry for the late update, I had a few internet issues last night.

Now, I know it may seem like I'm Gary-Stu-ing Kaen with the whole 'using other people's techniques' thing, not to mention the 'first Super Saiyan' thing as well. Now, for long-time readers, this second fact should _not_ be a surprise; it happened in series one. Besides, it's not like it means anything, or _really_ changes the story at all; as far as the Z-Fighters and Vegeta, knew, Goku _was_ the first Super Saiyan prior to the Android Saga.

For the first one, I am going to state now that it is, if not canon, then strong fanon that fighters, Saiyan's especially, can use each other's techniques. Krillin uses Tien's Solar Flare, Piccolo uses Gohan's Masenko, and Goku stole Roshi's Kamehameha after watching him do it. Now, many will play the 'training' card for most of them, and for most, I agree; however, as I just stated, Goku used a technique, with no training, that had taken Roshi fifty years to master. Thus, I feel I'm well within my rights having Kaen use other people's techniques. Now, he's not going to be using them all the time; that would be stupid. He just did this to prove to people, especially his family, that he _could_.

Also, with his defeat of Gohan, I'm not trying to claim Kaen is stronger. This was done purely so Gohan would get to fight Hercule, nothing more.

ten.noitcifnaf... I've tried reasoning with you, and I've tried ignoring you, but regardless of how I do or don't respond to you, you seem to enjoy criticising. I know that, regardless of what I say, you are undoubtedly going to complain about the fact Kaen defeated Gohan, even though he had to basically cheat to do it. I know that, on some level, you actually _are_ trying to help. I also know there is nothing I can do to stem the flow of complaints, because many of the changes you suggest would require me to rewrite some, if not all, of the 60+ chapters I've written thusfar.

As this will be the _last_ time I reply to you, I thought I'd make it a good one, by making three very important points:  
1. Don't try to lecture me about my original characters. I made them, I know them a lot better than you do, and I know what's _going_ to happen to them. Sure, _readers_ don't know what's going to happen, but thats why people keep reading, for the sake of seeing what happens next.  
2. Stop repeating yourself. Every one of your critical reviews seems to just reiterate a point you already made. If I didn't listen the first time, what makes you think I'm going to listen the second time? And for God's sake, stop reviewing my Author's Notes!  
3. If you don't like the direction I'm taking this story, why do you still read it? You say you were trying to 'give me a chance', but I know within maybe three chapters whether I'm going to like where a story's going, and here we are, thirteen chapters in, and I doubt anything has changed to your liking, or that anything will for that matter, as you only appear to offer opinions on the negative and seem to avoid even an ounce of praise for anything you may find amusing. Positive and negative remarks can go hand in hand after all.

There is one final thing I wanted to tell you, and I had planned on telling you in a private message, so as to not risk further enflating your ego, but as you have disabled private messaging, I can't. If you are such an expert, why don't _you_ write a story? I would like to see you write a story - the series is unimportant, but as you also claim to be an expert on Dragonball Z and what DBZ readers like to read, it should be that - that makes fairly large changes to the canon plotline, and then add in your own characters with the proviso that they be able to keep up with the mains - the same way Vegeta 'keeps up with' Goku (i.e. Weaker than, but not to the point of being useless) - and not have them turn into SI's or Mary-Su's. Believe me when I tell you that it sounds easy from that side of the virtual pen, but from this side, it's a lot harder.

If you have anything further to add, email me, there's a direct message link on my homepage. If you enable private messages I'm sure we could discuss theories on a better level, rather than having you leave remarks that have no bearing.

For any reader who is not ten.noitcifnaf and has read this far, I'm sorry for rambling on like this, but someone had to say it, and I got in first. I had hoped to do so in a manner that didn't clutter up the story, but as his private messaging feature has been disabled, this was the only way.

Side note from the beta: Seriously dude, all fan fics need to be taken with a pinch of salt, lighten up a little. As a Humor fic writer, my arguments need no basis of composure, dude.


	14. C14: Violence Fetish

--- Disturbance, Book 1: Convergence ---

Chapter C14 - Violence Fetish

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_-Bring the violence-_

"Alright Kaen, care to explain how the hell you did that before?"

The man in question paused, the aluminium can he had been seconds away from drinking from still held before his mouth, as he directed his gaze towards the speaker. "Do what Gohan?" He replied, "In case you've forgotten, I did a lot of things out there."

_-It's significant-_

Nodding, Gohan sat down across for him, Videl opting to sit beside him, proving they was preparing for a long explanation; fortunately, after the small scale war that they'd had minutes ago, the announcer had called an unscheduled fifteen minute break, to allow the fighters some time to rest and recover before their next match. "Alright then," the Demi-Saiyan teen prompted, "Let's start with how you beat me. What, exactly, _is_ this 'Soulfire'?"

Kaen shrugged, "Basically, Soulfire is how Water would act were it Fire."

_-To the life / If you've ever known anyone-_

The semi-captive audience of two just blinked vacantly, Gohan commenting, "Uh, I think we're gonna need the long version."

"Okay," Kaen sighed, subconsciously shifting into the lecturing tone his father was known for; absently, he noticed that, while his father and Kellre were off consoling Vegeta on his loss, having taken it upon themselves 'to take the broken man and rebuild him faster, stronger, better', the pair of them were still looking in his direction, not-so subtly informing him that they too were listening. "Let's start with the basics of ki techniques, or ki magick, as some call it. There are six elements-"

_-Bring the violence-_

"I thought there were only five elements," Videl interrupted.

Kaen shot her a half-hearted glare. "I'll get to that later. Anyway, there are six core elements, the primary elements of Fire, Water, Air, and Earth, and the two extra elements, Void, also known as Shadow, and Spirit, also known semi-jokingly as Holy. I call these last two extra because they don't really 'fit' with the other four. See, there are also six secondary elements that, like secondary colours, are a combination of their parents."

_-It's significant-_

"So it's cyclic," Gohan paraphrased, "And Void and Spirit don't fit this cycle."

"Exactly. The six secondary elements are Lava, Lightning, Mist, Clay, Ice, and Decay. Lava is a combination of Earth and Fire; that is to say, fire that has a basis in earth, that acts like earth, and that, when it cools, becomes earth. Similarly, Lightning is Fire-Air, Mist is Air-Water, Clay is Water-Earth, Ice is Fire-Water, and Decay is Air-Earth."

_-To the life / Can you feel it?-_

"So Lightning is burning air, Mist is airborne water, Clay is wet earth, Ice is water that burns, and Decay is eroding winds," Videl commented, showing a surprising understanding.

"Precisely," Kaen nodded, accepting the drink Pi handed him and taking a swig before continuing. "Now, as you can see, Void and Spirit don't really fit anywhere with the other ten elements. There is, however, a theorised thirteenth element, the parent of Void and Shadow; researchers have dubbed it Life. Attaining control over the element of Life is the Holy Grail of ki magick, like turning lead into gold is for alchemy, or total nirvana is for Buddhism."

_-Oh ow, ow!-_

"Why?" Videl asked, curious, "What does Life bring that the other twelve don't?"

"The name alone says it all," Pi supplied. "Control over life itself: being able to choose who will live and who will die; immortality itself." With a shrug, she added, "There are, obviously, easier ways of attaining immortality in this galaxy, but none come with quite so much potential."

"When people talk about the Five Elements," Kaen explained, "They mean the primary four, plus the theorised true fifth: Fire, Water, Air, Earth, and Life."

_-How do you sleep when you live with your lies?-_

"Alright then, I understand that," Gohan commented, "But how does this relate back to your Soulfire technique?"

"It's simple," Kaen replied. "As you can see from the secondary elements, the core elements aren't as separate as everyone believes. Well, I discovered that they're even less separate than anyone knew. Now, while what I found applies only to fire, assumedly the other elements have similar things. Simply put, I discovered a total of six different kinds of fire, one for each core element."

"So these other fires are a combination of elements?" Videl asked.

_-Out of your mouth, up from your mind-_

"Not exactly," Kaen corrected. "As I said, Soulfire, blue flame, is as Water would act were it Fire, the most destructive element; that is if the element of water was actually fire, it would act like Soulfire does, and wash away everything, leaving a blank slate. Plaguefire, green flame, the 'Earth' fire, poisons the body, temporarily robbing them of their sight or hearing, or paralysing their body. Wraithfire, purple flame, the 'Wind' fire, poisons the mind and soul, making them paranoid, or frantic, or depressive. Hellfire, black flame, the 'Void' fire, uses the energy of others to increase the damage it causes. Finally, Balefire, white flame, the 'Spirit' fire, burns back the thread of someone's life, undoing events they've done in the very recent past."

"You can erase people from time?" Videl asked incredulously, and with a good touch of fear.

_-That kind of thinking starts a chain reaction-_

"Only back a couple of minutes..." Kaen defended weakly.

"Not really erasing them, more like hitting them so hard they died a few seconds ago," Pi interjected.

"Wait, I thought the colour for Wind was yellow, not purple," Gohan commented, changing the subject quickly; he didn't want Videl freaking out.

_-You are a time bomb ticking away-_

Glad for the new topic, Kaen explained, "Traditionally, yes. However, in some cultures - those with no knowledge of the secondary elements - purple can be used instead; so it's just as correct. Similarly, yellow is occasionally used for Earth, instead of the traditional green."

"So, can _you_ control Life ki?" Videl asked interestedly.

_-You need to release what you're feeling inside-_

Kaen just shook his head, "No, I can't, and I probably never will. Because I have a complete alignment to Fire, I will most likely never be able to attain proper control over the other elements. It was hard enough gaining the tentative control over them I have now."

"How'd you do that anyway?"

_-Let out the beast that you're trying to hide-_

Kaen paused, seemingly struggling for the words to say; he also noticed the older Saiyans paying a lot more attention now. "Well, I basically created a ki 'lens', or 'filter', to convert Fire ki into other elements; you may have noticed the different coloured auras. However, regardless of what I filter to, the ki still acts like fire; it's powerful, unstable, and burns out quickly. And, as I discovered, it requires a lot more energy than normal to both start and maintain." With a smile, he added, "However, I am now no more limited in my choice of techniques than any other fighter, so the ends justify the means."

"Can you do this 'filter' thing too Pi?" Videl asked interestedly; apparently there was much more to this ki thing than Gohan had told her.

_-Step right up and be a part of the action-_

"Not unless she taught herself," Kaen replied with a shrug, "I've been a little busy this past month working out how to do it myself." Giving her a teasing smile, he added, "But if she's a good girl, I'll teach her everything I know." This was a loaded statement, something Pi picked up on immediately; Kaen was telling her that, should she pass his series of tests, he'd teach her some, or all, of his new moves.

"Speaking of which," Gohan interjected, "How the hell did you fire a blast while maintaining another one? And, for that matter, how did you manage to Split Form into four full-powered copies?"

_-Go get your game face on because it's time to play-_

Kaen just grinned. "Hey, I'm not telling you _all_ my secrets. Besides, you wouldn't be able to do them anyway."

"Why not?"

Kaen shrugged again, "The first I can't really explain enough for anyone else to understand it; I mean, I haven't even been able to explain it well enough for Pi to learn it yet, and she's been learning from me for fifteen years, so you've got no chance. As for the second, the key lies with the man I defeated a month ago." Kaen meant to say 'killed', but censored it for Videl's ears.

_-You're pushing and fighting your way-_

Gohan levelled him with a dry look. "You know, you're saying a lot without really saying anything at all."

Kaen grinned again. "Yeah, I do that."

_-You're ripping it up-_

Shaking her head at their antics, Videl commented, "No offence Kaen, but all that sounds really technical, and you don't strike me as that much of a technical-minded guy."

Kaen just shrugged, waving away her concerns. "None taken; I'm generally not. However, back when I was a kid, the punishment for misbehaving was getting stuffed into a room with both our dads while they discussed this sort of thing, with the occasional whack to the back of the head to ensure I remained awake and alert."

"And he got in trouble quite a lot..." Pi added 'helpfully'.

_-Bring the violence-_

Coughing once to cover a minor moment of embarrassment, Kaen supplied, "Anyway, this stuff is mostly Kellre's theories, 'cept for the fire stuff; that's all me."

"Of course it is," Kellre called out from the back of the room, "The concept is sloppy, and you aren't referring to the kinetic balances between-"

_-It's significant-_

"Oh hell no!" Truniz shouted, jumping between the two both physically and verbally, "Don't start this shit here; this isn't a room full of insomniacs wanting a cure."

"Hey, this stuff is interesting!" Videl called out, annoyed at the interruption, and Gohan nodded his agreement.

_-To the life / If you've ever known anyone-_

"Sure, it's interesting the _first_ time," Kaen muttered sourly, memories of many hours of boring lectures playing through his head.

Giving Kaen an annoyingly cheerful smirk, Kellre commented, "It's nice to know I have an appreciative audience, but perhaps another time. I do believe Gohan has a match to prepare for." The infliction in his voice made the word 'match' sound a lot more like 'slaughter'.

_-Bring the violence-_

Hercule was worried; no, scratch that, Hercule was scared shitless. Pacing around his private dressing room, he scrubbed a hand through his hair, which, due to the power of Afro, did nothing to change his hairstyle. "What am I gonna do?" He whined to himself, "That kids gonna squash me like a bug, then he's gonna prove to everyone I'm a fraud! I'll be ruined!"

Moving to his private bar, he poured himself a drink of scotch, before setting the glass aside and taking a swig from the bottle itself. "What am I going to do?" He bemoaned to himself. "I've got to beat this kid, but with all his tricks he's gonna..."

_-It's significant-_

He trailed off, a menacing smirk coming to his face; he had a few 'tricks' of his own. Moving over to his gear, he pulled an innocuous-looking case from one of his bags, setting on the nearby dresser. As he undid the locks, he began having second thoughts. He hadn't used these particular... tricks, for over a decade now, despite keeping them up to date; was this really the right time to start again?

Shaking his head, he opened the box and slipped a few items from within inside his gi shirt. If nothing else, Hercule Satan would go into battle prepared to win.

_-To the life / Can you feel it?-_

Noticing the number of spectators returning to their seats, Videl realised the intermission was swiftly drawing to a close, so she grabbed Gohan's arm, asking, "Uh, Gohan, can I talk to you for a moment? In private?"

Picking up on the slight hesitation in her voice, and pointedly ignoring the reactions of his friends - which would no doubt begin teasing them - he nodded, standing up. "Sure Videl. Let's take a walk."

_-Oh ow, ow!-_

Once the two were far enough away to be out of earshot of even Piccolo's hearing, Videl cast a quick eye around, making sure no one was watching, before asking hesitantly, "Gohan, can you do me a favour?"

Smiling reassuringly, Gohan nodded. "Sure Vi, name it."

_-Bring the violence-_

Taking a deep breath, she began, "Well, it's about your match against my dad..."

"You want me to go easy on him?" Gohan interrupted.

_-It's significant-_

She shook her head. "No I-"

"You want me to let him win?"

_-To the life / If you've ever known anyone-_

"Will you shut up and let me speak!" She shouted suddenly, before slapping a hand over her mouth and glancing up at him apologetically. Seeing the still reassuring look on his face, she said, "I... I want you to beat him... and I want everyone out there to _know_ you did. I don't want dad saying you _let_ him win. I want..." She blushed a little, almost imperceptibly, before continuing, "I want freedom from him. I want to be able to do what _I_ want without fear of him reigning me in. I want you..." Blushing a little more, she added hastily, "-to win!"

_-Bring the violence-_

Smiling down at her gently, Gohan chose to ignore her faux par, replying, "So you want me to win in such a way that there's no doubt I won legitimately, so he'll leave you alone, right?"

She smiled back, nodding once. "Yeah. Can you do that for me?"

_-It's significant-_

He clasped her hand, smiling wider. "For you Videl, I would move Heaven and Earth; this, I'll do for free." Videl smiled brilliantly up at him, before the pair walked back to the fighter's lounge, the human girl missing the fact Gohan was still holding her hand, and the Demi-Saiyan choosing not to draw attention to it.

_-To the life / Can you feel it?-  
-Oh ow, ow!-_

"So, where have you two been?" Kaen asked, a massive grin on his face.

Gohan gave him a level stare, replying pointedly, "Getting a drink."

_-How do you live without playing the game?-_

"Well you're back just in time," a new voice called out, "The announcer's just called you and 'Fro-man out for the runner-up match."

Spinning on her heel to face the speaker, Videl asked, "Kat, what are you doing here?"

_-Sit on the side and expect to keep sane-_

The catgirl just shrugged, "I felt left out."

Flexing his shoulders, Gohan commented, "Well, I better get out there."Smiling down as Videl, and subtly squeezing the hand he still held, he added, "Wish me luck."

_-Step right up and be a part of the action-_

Videl had to resist a sudden urge to stretch up and kiss him on the cheek. Instead, she smiled back at him, replying, "I seriously doubt _you_ need luck. Kick his ass for me will you?"

"Will do," Gohan grinned, striding out to the arena. Seeing Hercule already out there drumming up the crowd, Gohan could feel the smirk come to his face; he was going to enjoy this.

_-Come get a piece of it before it's too late-_

"I can't believe my Gohan has to fight that big ape Hercule," Chichi huffed.

"Think of it this way Chi," Bulma reasoned, "This means Gohan goes home with an easy five million zenni."

"Plus," Raene added, "He gets to get some revenge against the blowhard for seven years of insults."

_-Take a look around, you can't deny what you see-_

"That's... a very good point," Chichi conceded, before standing up in her seat and shouting, "Pulverise him son! Remember what he said about your father! Destroy him!"

As Chichi continued on in this manner for a while, Bulma leaned over to Falcon, commenting quietly, "Okay, _now_ she's angry."

_-We're living in a violent society-_

"So Herc, what'll it be?" Gohan asked, taking advantage of a break in the man's pre-prepared confidence breaking speech to derail his train of thought. Trying to keep calm, Gohan thought to himself, 'If he says he's the Champ one more time, I swear to Kami I'll break his face.' Planting an overly cheerful grin on his face, Gohan explained Hercule's options. "Do you want a single hit knock out, or would you rather I see if I can pull off another Pinball Special; well, assuming you're tough enough to bounce back more than twice."

The sudden reminder that _this_ fighter produced the name scrawled across the stadium walls knocked the wind clear out of Hercule's sails. Quaking a little in fear, he stuttered, "P-please d-don't kill me!"

_-Well my brother let me show you a better way-_

"Oh, I'm not gonna kill you," Gohan replied, waving the other man's concerns away. "In fact, because I'm such a nice guy, I'm gonna go easy on you. I will fight you on a normal human level; no special powers, no flight, no 'light shows', nothing. Just your regular strength and skill verses mine."

"Y-you mean it?"

_-Get your game face on because it's time to play-_

"I give you my word," Gohan replied as solemnly as possible; he spent a great deal of effort forcing himself not to laugh piteously at the gleam of hope in Hercule's eyes. The afro'd fighter had no real way of knowing that even suppressing his ki all the way down to Hercule's level, with his Saiyan strength was more than capable of allowing him to rip a bank vault door off it's hinges, or match a car with basic foot speed, as Kaen's daring rescue whilst wearing a ki suppresser proved. Sure, such feats would exhaust him afterwards, but Hercule was most certainly not as tough as a bank vault, nor as fast as a speeding car.

_-You're pushing and fighting your way-_

"Really?" Hercule asked, brightening considerably, "Well, that's mighty sporting of you."

"Oh I'm not doing this for _you_ Hercule; I'm doing this for me." Before the older fighter could question him about this statement, Gohan walked over to the announcer, asking, "Hey, can I borrow that microphone for a moment?"

"What for?"

_-You're ripping it up-_

Gohan smirked. "I have a little announcement to make." Blinking once, the announcer tossed the microphone up to Gohan's awaiting hands, and, smirk still entrenched on his face, the teen walked back to the centre of the ring.

"What're you doing?" Hercule asked quickly; the fear was back, fear that he would reveal him for the fraud he was.

_-Bring the violence-_

"Hercule Satan," Gohan stated, "You have always said that your daughter, Videl, is not allowed to date anyone unless they are strong enough to defeat you in combat, correct?" When Hercule nodded slowly, the gears already cranking in his head trying to find where this was going, Gohan continued, "This, logically, goes the other way as well, in that anyone strong enough to defeat you is allowed to date Videl, correct? Mister Satan, I am going to prove to everyone, right here and now, that I am stronger than you. I challenge you for the rite to date Videl!"

_-It's significant-_

As Gohan moved to return the microphone to the stunned announcer, an awed gasp went up from the assembled onlookers, and all of Hercule's second thoughts about using his special brand of tricks disappeared. 'If this punk thinks he can take Videl away from her family, he's got another thing coming!' He vowed to himself.

_-To the life / If you've ever known anyone-_

"I can't believe he just did that," Videl commented, her voice surprisingly inflectionless; it was like her mind wanted to express so many warring emotions at once that none got through at all.

"I can," Kaen commented, watching the drama in the stadium unfold from his position leaning against the doorframe.

_-Bring the violence-_

Marching up to him, Pi asked sternly, "Kaen dear, you wouldn't happen to have anything to do with this would you?"

"Why Pi, I am offended that you'd think I had anything to do with this," he replied blandly.

_-It's significant-_

Raising an eyebrow, Videl asked, "Are you offended because she thinks that, or because she just _thinks_ it, and doesn't _know_ it?"

Kaen smirked. "_That_, Videl, is the right question." With that, he refused to say any more, returning full attention to the fight.

_-To the life / Can you feel it?-  
-Oh ow, ow!-_

"Ole!" Gohan cried cheerfully, grabbing the larger man's fist as Hercule tried to punch him, and using his momentum to flip the burly fighter over his shoulder. Gohan had to admit, if he didn't have a genetic advantage, at this level of fighting, he would have been hard-pressed to keep Hercule from winning; but he _did_ have the advantage, and he was having a grand old time using the kung-fu-like techniques his father taught him to throw Hercule about the ring like a rag doll.

_-Bring the violence-_

Hercule, however, was quickly getting angry with the fight. 'Impudent brat,' he growled to himself, totally forgetting just who, exactly, he was fighting, 'If he thinks he can defeat me and take Videl away without fighting back, he's got another thing coming. I've got big plans for her that _don't_ involve nameless weaklings.' Stealthily reaching into his shirt, Hercule pulled out one of the items he'd pre-prepared and held it as tight as could be safe in his clenched fist.

_-It's significant-_

Charging towards his opponent, he shouted, "Boy, I'm gonna make sure you never see Videl again in your life!" In a rare moment if intelligence, Hercule had made a loaded statement: in his hands was a small pouch containing blinding powder, which would be released when his fist closed tightly around it, such as when making contact with a punch; it was only temporary, sure, but enough to throw off a fighter's game.

_-To the life / If you've ever known anyone-_

This, however, was completely the wrong thing to say. His face contorting into a scowl, Gohan grabbed Hercule's fist mere inches away from his face, commenting darkly, "Hercule Satan, you are a stupid, stupid man." With a sharp twist, and a yelp from the larger fighter, Gohan twisted Hercule's arm around and began punching him in the face with his own hand; despite Hercule's efforts, Gohan had spotted the little pouch.

_-Bring the violence-_

Stumbling back when he was released, Hercule clasped a hand over his eyes, as the powder did its damage. Blinking back tears, Hercule squinted his eyes, charging towards the opponent he could now no longer clearly see, as he shouted, "I'm never gonna let Videl be with a freak of nature like you!"

_-It's significant-_

Growling in anger, Gohan fell back on his original fighting style, Piccolo's brutally efficient Muay Thai-like style, throwing out a punch to intercept Hercule's, and taking sick satisfaction in the sound of the bones in Hercule's hand fracturing upon impact. Cracking his knuckles, and flexing his neck to either side, Gohan said, "You know, I _was_ going to go easy on you for Videl's sake, but after _that_ shameful display, I think she'll forgive me for what I'm about to do. Besides, she _did_ want me to make sure you couldn't say you _let_ me win..."

_-To the life / Can you feel it?-  
-Oh ow, ow!-_

"Well, looks like Hercule went and said something stupid," Kat commented cheekily.

Feeling a little afraid for her father's safety given the look on Gohan's face, Videl asked, "Hey Pi, you can heal my dad can't you?"

_-Tell me what am I supposed to be-_

"Of course I can," Pi replied, wondering for a moment why the human girl sounded so sure of that fact.

Videl breathed a sigh of relief, placing a hand over her heart. "Thank you."

_-Another goddamn drone?-_

"Oh don't thank me," Pi argued, "I said I _could_ heal him; I didn't say I _would_ do it." At the look on her friend's face, Pi added, "Don't look at me like that! You've seen him; touching him'll probably give me hair on my palms or something!" This comment was a round of chuckles from pretty much everyone assembled, which was the entire point; even Kaen, tucked away in the back, deep in conversation with their fathers, let out a laugh at her over the top antics.

_-Tell me what am I supposed to be-_

Never passing up the chance to insult someone, Vegeta sneered, "Is that what happened to you Cueball? Did you headbutt Satan?"

_-Should I leave it on the inside?-_

Krillin just snorted, "I wish... Actually, on second thought, no I don't; I'd probably wind up with an Afro too."

_-Tell me what am I supposed to be-_

At the look on Videl's face, Kat patted her on the head, commenting, "Oh don't worry 'Del. We've still got a few senzu beans should Gohan get... creative."

_-Another goddamn drone?-_

"What a waste," Vegeta spat. For a moment, the eavesdropping Shin thought that maybe Vegeta had realised there might be trouble, until the Saiyan prince added, "We should leave the waste of flesh in pain."

_-Tell me what am I supposed to be-_

Throwing an arm around the girl's shoulders, Pi commented, "The real question is, how did you know I have healing powers, huh Videl?"

_-Should I get ready to play?-_

Panicking slightly, Videl replied, "I... uh... You said you could! After my defeat to Spopovich." At least, Videl hoped she had; the memory flash she'd had at the time seemed to allude to that.

_-You're pushing and fighting your way-_

"You were barely conscious Videl," the Saiyan teen pointed out, "And you had a concussion to boot. I seriously doubt you could hear anything well enough to remember it."

As Videl struggled for an answer, Kat gasped, "Oh Kami! You can remember it all can't you? Everything!"

_-You're ripping it up-_

Videl shook her head quickly, denying it hotly, "N-no, I-"

"Don't lie to us!" Pi shot back sternly, "You've known this entire time haven't you?"

_-Bring the violence-_

At the tone in the older girl's voice, Videl went into babble mode. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, it just came back to me when Spopovich hit me, I promise I won't tell anyone about what happened before, and-"

"Not about that; the important thing." Pi cut her off. "Why haven't you acted on your feelings for Gohan yet?"

_-It's significant-_

"G-Gohan?" Videl stuttered, in shock at the sudden change in topic.

"Yeah, you remember what he told you on the Lookout right?" Pi asked. When the girl nodded dumbly, she added, "So why haven't you dragged him off to a closet and ridden him like a mechanical bull yet?"

_-To the life / If you've ever known anyone-_

Videl felt her face light up as she almost died of embarrassment. Hearing Goku, Gohan's father, shout, "Oh Kami, I can't know that!" and Truniz add, "I could stand to hear a little more," didn't help her case. Neither did Kat patting her on the head and commenting, "Don't worry 'Del, I understand your desire to wait." Videl almost thought Kat was truly being supportive, until the catgirl added, "If Gohan's anywhere near as energetic as I've heard these two get," she indicated Pi, "Then a closet just won't cut it; you'd probably knock down a wall or two."

As Videl almost feinted, Pi moved quickly to catch her, snorting jokingly, "Lightweight."

_-Bring the violence-_

The majority of the crowd was silent, as the brutal assault against their 'Champ' was laid down. About the only sound to be heard through the whole stadium was the snap of bones, and Hercule's womanly shrieks of pain, as Gohan unleashed seven years of pent-up Saiyan fury. Gohan was getting revenge against Hercule for not only every slight against his own honour, but also very insult against his father and friends, and for every time Hercule treated Videl less like a daughter and more like a trophy; in short, there was a _lot_ of revenge to be meted out.

_-It's significant-_

With a smirk, Gohan caught Hercule's pathetic attempt at a punch, taking strange satisfaction in squeezing the man's already damaged hand, and listening to the sounds the bones made as they popped out of joint. "Last one Herc, say goodnight," he commented overly cheerfully, twisting Hercule's arm behind his back in a very painful lock, before forcibly tripping the 'Champ' onto the arena floor with heavy, nearly excessive... alright, extremely excessive force, breaking Hercule's nose and knocking him out cold.

_-To the life / Can you feel it?-  
-Oh ow, ow!-_

Planting a foot on his fallen opponent's back, Gohan smiled at the announcer cheerily, "I think he's done for the day; wanna call it?"

_-Bring the violence-_

"Well, that was a little much," Krillin commented.

Vegeta smirked. "Speak for yourself. I've never been prouder of him."

Piccolo just nodded. "It looks like Gohan broke a bone for every insult Hercule has ever made."

_-It's significant-_

Krillin sweat-dropped a little at the comment. "You're kidding right?"

Piccolo just smirked. "He was _my_ student."

"Right," Krillin laughed, before a thought occurred to him, "Wait, does the human body _have_ that many bones?"

_-To the life / If you've ever known anyone-_

"Looks like Gohan won," Kat declared as though it weren't obvious from the get-go, "Aren't you gonna go congratulate him 'Del?"

"Hey Videl," Pi added slyly, "I've got a capsule house you can borrow if you want to 'congratulate' him properly."

_-Bring the violence-_

Videl raced out to the arena, partly because she _did_ want to congratulate Gohan and affirm her father's defeat, but mostly because she wanted to avoid the constant teasing. What awaited her in the ring, however, was just as 'bad'.

"It looks like Son Gohan has well and truly defeated Hercule!" The announcer shouted, before noticing Videl's approach, "And it seems Videl has come out to congratulate her boyfriend on his win!"

_-It's significant-_

Videl skidded to a stop awkwardly, commenting, "W-wha? Boyf- Ack!" Her response would have continued, and been entirely valid, if Gohan hadn't immediately yanked Videl into his arms, and into a very deep kiss; this was met with roaring approval from the crowd, especially from a particular overbearing mother and her group of friends. When Gohan finally broke the kiss and set her back down on the ground, Videl was left panting for breath, her face covered in a massive blush, and a huge, giddy smile.

The announcer walked over to the pair, holding his microphone out after saying, "Congratulations Gohan, as our third place finisher in the tournament, you have won five million zenni!"

_-To the life / Can you feel it?-_

Gohan smirked, "So now only did I get to beat up Hercule _and_ win the rite to date Videl, but you're paying me for it too? Nice." Videl gaped at Gohan, but had no chance to say anything on the matter, as with a wave to the crowd Gohan took one of the senzu beans from the bag on his belt, flicking it towards the announcer with the instructions of, "Give this to Herc when he regains consciousness; he'll be up and complaining in no time," before he hoisted her over his shoulder like a rug, striding back off stage with one final, simple statement. "Mine."

_-Oh ow, ow!-_

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

I admit I may not have made the set-up of the rounds clear, so here it is as simple as I can make it. First, there are 8 elimination matches, to thin the 16 fighters into 8. Then there are 4 quarter-finals, further thinning the contestants to 4. Following that are the 2 semi-finals. The two who lose the semi's go on to the runner-up match (in this case, Gohan and Hercule) to find who gets third, whereas the winners of the semi's go on to the finals. Also, there _was_ a very good reason for Gohan losing his match against Kaen, that'll be explained further in the next chapter.

Has anyone else ever wondered what 'senzu' actually means? Well, I looked it up one day, and after the initial search of the whole word turned up... interesting results, I realised it must be a word compound, like oozaru (oo - big, saru - monkey). Turns out I was right. Senzu is a word compound of sen, meaning 'hermit, wizard', and su, meaning 'den, nest', which makes them hermit den beans.

In other news, my beta reader is hazardous to my mental health. I really shouldn't discuss things with him until I've actually _finished_ the chapter, because he keeps lobbing new ideas at me that are too awesome to pass up. As is he's already got me second guessing the finale I had planned out. Ah well, I've got plenty of time to disarm _that_ particular landmine.


	15. C15: Rise

--- Disturbance, Book 1: Convergence ---

Chapter C15 - Rise

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-Rise-_

"You're certainly in a good mood Gohan," Kat commented, as both he and Videl returned to the fighter's lounge.

Setting Videl down again, Gohan grinned, "Hey, I just defeated the ogre, reclaimed the treasure, and rescued the princess. Why shouldn't I be in a good mood?"

"So," Pi began in a conversational tone, "How long have you known Videl remembered everything?"

Videl choked on her breath as Gohan replied in the same tone, "Since she started whining about it, after she buried her face into my chest."

"What?" the human girl shrieked.

_-Throw away-_

"Did I forget to mention Saiyans have almost preternatural hearing?" Gohan replied, a smile on his face.

She elbowed him in the stomach, growling, "Yes, you did."

Gohan just kept grinning, "Well we do."

"Wait a sec," Kat interjected, "You only did all that because she remembered?"

"Well no," Gohan replied with a shrug, "I probably would've done it anyway; this just gave me a good excuse."

Kaen grinned, "See, I'm friends with this guy for a reason."

_-The charade of your life-_

"Can I have a quick word?" Gohan asked his flame-haired friend.

Kaen just shrugged, "Sure." They moved far enough to be out of everyone's hearing, before Kaen asked, "What's this about?"

"You owe me one," Gohan stated without preamble.

One of Kaen's eyebrows rose, "For what?"

"Letting you win our match."

"Bullshit!" He hissed, making sure to keep his voice down, "Go fuck yourself! I know you were fighting your best."

_-Let the flame of my heart-_

Gohan shrugged, "Sure I was. Right up until the last few seconds." Gohan smiled, "You're correct that without style, strength means nothing, and on anyone else that move of yours would have been an almost guaranteed win. However, thanks to my father I have mastered the Super Saiyan transformation to the point that I had more than enough time to use it again to stop your blast after Soulfire ended."

"So why didn't you?"

"Simple," Gohan commented, "If I had, the match would have ended in a stalemate, and the judges would've been called in; hardly a fitting victory for a Saiyan. And, assuming I won, you would then probably have killed Hercule, disqualification rule or no. This way, you get to fight your mate, I got to beat up on Hercule, and no one suspects a thing; everybody wins. As I said earlier, this merely gave me the perfect excuse to do exactly what I wanted without being burdened with any of the blame."

_-Burn away-_

Kaen sighed; he didn't like where this was headed. "What's your point?"

Gohan smiled again, "My point is, you owe me a week of respectful attitude towards Vegeta."

"You're full of it," Kaen scowled.

Gohan's smile didn't waver, "Is that your final answer?"

Kaen, having dealt with his and Pi's fathers for years, had a bullshit-o-meter that could measure on an atomic level; while he may have been bad at it himself, he knew a bluff almost before he heard it, and Gohan's words made him uneasy. Gohan made a damn good point, and Kaen had heard much about the younger Saiyan's training before the Cell Games. If Gohan said anything, he knew he would be hard pressed to deny it; the proof was stacked against him, skill or not. Losing face to Vegeta was very much different to Gohan. Vegeta was Vegeta - they had an uneasy truce of sorts - but Gohan was his rival, so to lose face to him... Folding his arms, Kaen growled, "One day."

_-Your complacence tonight-_

"Five."

"Two."

"Three."

Kaen scowled again. "Fine. So Cellotto, when will I have to do this?"

Gohan just grinned, "Whenever I think it's most funny."

As the two began walking back, Piccolo's voice echoed in Gohan's mind. Nice bluff.

Gohan smiled. I learnt from the best.

_-I command you to rise-_

"What were you two talking about?" Videl asked curiously.

"Just celebrating my brutal defeat of Hercule," Gohan supplied, "Kaen wasn't too happy about me going easy on him like I did."

"And you used to be such a nice boy too," Pi commented mock-disapprovingly, "So innocent and polite, and now look at you; Kaen's corrupted you."

"Hey!" Kaen barked defensively, "I knew the kid a grand total of two weeks, and as much as I would like to claim otherwise, I can't corrupt anyone in that sort of time frame. Besides this smacks of Vegeta's handiwork, and a damn fine job of it to, turning an overly polite boy into a true Saiyan."

"Hey, shouldn't you guys be getting ready for your match?" Kat asked, ever the peacemaker.

_-Wash away-_

Glad for a new topic, Videl asked, "So Pi, what're you gonna do with the prize money; either one."

Pi just shrugged, replying disinterestedly, "Eh, probably throw it in the pile I guess."

"Why did you guys even enter this tournament?" Kat asked, having not had a chance to talk to her pseudo-sister since they made their decision.

"For the challenge," was Pi's simple reply.

Videl gaped. "Just how much money do you guys have anyway?"

Kaen just smiled wanly. "It... can no longer be expressed in numbers."

"So what can it be expressed in?"

_-The decay of your life-_

"Mathematical formulae," Pi shrugged, "We first invested our money some ten years ago, and we haven't touched it until recently, so... To be honest, I don't even know about half the accounts we have."

"Yes, and I plan to keep it that way," Kaen commented dryly, "If you knew just how much money we had, and where it was, you'd be a lot less restrained in your shopping sprees."

Pi just smiled, "Probably."

"What did you do to earn so much?" Videl asked; any job that resulted in this much financial security...

"Full-time mercenary-slash-bounty hunter, part-time treasure hunter."

Videl gave the other two girls a level stare. "So that's what Pi meant by 'you made a killing'." Having her memories of the conversation on the roof over a month ago, Videl was surprisingly desensitised by the idea of Kaen being a killer. "But what are you gonna do for work now? I can't imagine there's much need for a mercenary or a bounty hunter here on Earth."

_-Feel the light of your eyes-_

"You'd be surprised," Kaen replied seriously, "Besides, I severely doubt I'll ever need money enough to have to work, but it I wanted to work, I'd probably get a job working with dad."

"What's he do?"

"Researcher-slash-inventor," Kaen shrugged, "I know, I know, I don't seem like the type, but apparently I inherited dad's affinity for machines. Go figure."

"Where does he work then?" Videl asked curiously, "Capsule Corp?"

"Full Moon Industries." Pi replied. When Videl didn't seem to understand, she added, "Ever heard of FMI then?"

"Capsule Corp's main rival?" Videl cried, "They work there?"

"Kinda," Pi replied, "My dad, Kaen's dad, and my uncle founded the company. And the two companies aren't really rivals per say, as they field different technologies." Before anyone could question them further, two of the three in question walked up to them, their respective father's pulling the Saiyan couple away for a pre-fight pep talk.

_-Find the way-_

"So what did you want to tell me?" Kaen asked his father impatiently; he had little time for the man's lectures.

Avarrdo took a minute to glance over at his associate, as Kellre verbally ran through a series of katas he wanted his daughter to perform as an act of demoralisation, before replying, "This will be quite a match."

Kaen just shrugged, "We've sparred before, what's the big deal?"

"Because," the older man replied, "Unlike your spars, this match will beg a determined winner."

"So you and Kellre got bets down."

_-Through the darkness tonight-_

Avarrdo grinned a little bit, amused at how transparent he was in some ways. "There are stakes, but not only of that nature. I assure you that this battle will definitely be one to make you open your eyes."

"Are you saying I don't know my own mate?" Kaen felt his blood start to boil.

"I am saying," Avarrdo lectured, "That you should never face an opponent as if you know them."

"Cut the crap old man, what are you getting at?" Kaen barked.

Avarrdo just smirked. "Be prepared. And good luck. Now you should go, I think they're calling for you."

Tail lashing in anger, Kaen noticed that they were, indeed, being called, and Pi was already waiting for him at the entrance. Turning to glare at his father, he growled, "We'll finish this later," before heading off to his match.

_-Fearing no one-_

Noticing his old friend approaching, Avarrdo beat him to the punch, commenting, "I see you did not bother with any form of pleasantries with your daughter."

"She knows what is required," Kellre replied simply.

"Are you sure that she can understand it though?" Avarrdo countered, "Considering the circumstances of her disposition."

"I could say the same of you," Kellre shot back, "I, however, have no doubts that Pi understands; she is her mother's daughter after all." There was a minor hint of doubt in his voice. "And what did you ascertain? Is he as we believe?"

"Inconclusive," Avarrdo grimaced. "If he is not Kaen, he believes himself to be, and has all of his memories, as well as possibly a few more. However, his ki signature has changed slightly; I would need to use nanoscopic scanners to measure the exact change, but I can notice a change."

_-Do you really think I covet like you do?-_

"Hey, what're you guys talking about?" Gohan's voice interjected.

"The outcome of the match," Kellre replied smoothly.

"Oh? Who are you guys backing?" Videl asked.

"My son, of course," Avarrdo commented.

"Pi's always got my vote," Truniz added.

Gohan turned to the older of the two brothers, asking, "So Kellre, who are you supporting then?"

The man just smiled. "A tie."

_-Come-_

"So Kaen," Pi said conversationally, "Don't 'spose you're gonna tell me what the final test is?"

"Of course not," he replied in the same tone, "One of the conditions of the final test is working out what the test is about all on your own."

"Of course it is," she replied drolly.

_-Take me away-_

"What's the matter Pi?" Kaen mocked, "Don't think you can keep up with me?"

Pi just smirked, going through the routine her father told her to. "I seem to remember our fights being a little one-sided."

Kaen smirked back, dropping into his stance. "Yes they did, but this time, I won't be letting you win."

Finishing her kata, she fell into her own stance. "That's okay; you won't have to."

_-Remove the fear from my eyes-_

"Well folks, it looks like these two outstanding fighters are ready and raring to begin, so let's not waste any time!" The announcer shouted, signalling the monks nearby, and the gong was struck, but before the sound could register to the ears of the audience, the two fighters had sped forward, fists and feet colliding with thunderous force.

Grabbing her wrists as she tried to punch him, Kaen locked Pi's arms between them, but the two began trading blows, or attempting to at least, using only their feet, like some bizarre version of the Riverdance. Eventually, as Kaen forced her feet to the ground, she wrenched her arms free, throwing a punch to his midsection. Kaen simply folded his arms before the punch, allowing the blow to push him backwards a couple of feet.

_-Feel the flame of my heart-_

Pi was upon him again almost before he finished sliding, raining down a flurry of blows upon him, and Kaen was hard pressed to stop them all, being slowly forced to his knees. Growling, he grabbed her arm during her next attack, swinging himself up to kick at her head, but she raised her other arm to block, using his momentum to throw him over her shoulder.

Spinning to land on his feet, Kaen sent a burst of ki to his feet, vaulting backwards over her as she lunged towards his exposed back. She spun around and raised an arm to block as he returned the favour, grabbing his wrist and leaping into a cartwheel, both to attempt to kick him in the head - which she knew he'd dodge - as well as to twist his arm around painfully.

_-Burning away-_

Kaen, however, merely turned his back to her to 'unwind' his arm, kicking at her backwards to force her to let go, lest she receive his size ten boot to the face. As he spun back towards her, he lashed out with a kick, but she answered with a spin kick of her own, both avoiding his strike, and counter-attacking. He countered her kick, she retaliated, and the pair spun in place for a while, before the fact they were spinning at different speeds caught up to them, and their legs clashed like duelling swords, the taller Kaen forcing Pi's leg to the ground.

_-All conversation tonight-_

Glaring at her smirking mate, Pi threw him a hard left, but he just grabbed her wrist, locking it behind his to ensure she didn't have the leverage to attack with her right. Growling, Pi made use of one of the most unconventional weapons in a Saiyan's arsenal; her tail. Charging it with ki, she swung her tail up to shock the muscles in his wrist, forcing it to unclench and release her hand. At the same time, she twisted her wrist enough to grab that self-same arm, and while he was still off balance from the shock, swung him over her shoulder again; this time, however, she didn't release him.

_-Hearing no one-_

In a similarly unconventional style, Kaen coiled his tail like a spring, reinforcing it with ki, and using it to break his fall. Then, like a spring, he used it to bounce back up towards her, twisting slightly to lash out with his leg. It was an extremely unorthodox tactic, and it hurt his tail like all hell, but it did have the advantage of catching her off guard enough to land a good solid kick to the temple.

_-Am I precious to you now?-_

As Pi staggered backwards a few steps, a hand held to the side of her head, Kaen landed awkwardly on his back. Climbing back to his feet, Kaen held a hand to his back, as the two spent some time recovering from the first actual damage done to either of them. A smirk returning to his face, Kaen dropped into a new stance, one reminiscent of a kick boxer. "So Pi, ready for round two?"

Smirking back, Pi twisted her arms around, flowing into the stance she used to fight Vegeta, as she replied, "Whenever you are Sensei."

_-Oooh, am I precious to you now?-_

"Wow, they're really tearing it up," Faile commented excitedly.

"Nah, this is just the warm-up," Yamcha replied.

"How can you tell?" Vincent asked dryly; well, his voice was always dry.

_-Now rise-_

"Experience," the older man replied with an absent wave. "I've been in a couple of these tournaments myself, and the first few minutes are always a warm-up."

"Besides little sis," Falcon added, "You were there when Phoenix came crashing through the roof during his fight with Dragon, so you know they aren't fighting at their peak."

"He's showing her off," April commented. "He wants everyone to know how good a fighter his mate is."

_-Turn away-_

"They're good, I'll give them that," Chichi admitted begrudgingly, "But that doesn't mean I approve of their methods."

"Underhanded or not, they know what to do to get the job done," Raene replied.

"But the real question is," Cherri added, "What'll they do to beat each other, when they know each other's style as though it were their own?"

_-From the shame of your life-_

The two circled each other, Kaen taking short, efficient steps, and Pi taking wide, flowing motions, as they stared each other down. Kaen knew that Pi wouldn't break rank first and go on the attack; not only would she usually wait for his impatience to force him onto the offensive, but also the style she was using was primarily a counter-attack style. With this in mind, Kaen kept to the status quo, and went on the offensive.

Kaen swung at her head with his right hand - a simple jab - and as expected, Pi pushed his arm to the side harmlessly. Before she could retaliate, he continued the spin, backhanding her with his left forearm. When she ducked under the blow, he swung in again with his right, aiming to strike at her head with his elbow. Before the blow could land, Pi calmly reached back with her right hand, halting the blow, and swinging her right leg back to sweep his out from under him.

Leaping over her, Kaen spun back around with another forearm strike, forcing her to duck again, before he followed up with what would have been a gut punch were she standing up; as it was, it resulted in a punch to the face. Well, it would have, had she not rolled to the side. Smirking at each other as they returned to the ready stance, the Saiyan couple took a moment to catch their breath, before the fight resumed anew.

_-Feel the light from my eyes-_

"Hey, I think I recognize those styles," Videl commented suddenly.

"Of course you do," Vegeta spat, "It's the same style the girl beat me with before."

"No, I know that," she replied, "I meant I've seen both of those styles somewhere else, or at least, I think I have... Something's missing from this picture, but I can't place what."

"What do you mean Videl?" Gohan asked his now-girlfriend; he'd never officially asked her, but seeing as how she didn't exactly object to him kissing her in front of millions of people, he assumed the answer'd be 'yes' anyway.

_-Offering-_

With inspiration striking her like the proverbial lightning bolt, she blurted out, "Fans! That's what's missing; Pi should be holding a pair of war fans."

"Where'd you get that idea 'Del?" Kat asked, surprised at how... right, the human girl's idea sat with her.

"Promise you won't laugh?" Videl replied. "It was some weird dream I had a while back; well, dreams. It was some medieval, feudal thing, with swords and horses and archers, that sort of thing."

"Tell me more about these dreams," Gohan asked. For some reason, he could almost picture what she said.

_-Consolation tonight-_

She grinned playfully, "Sure thing, General Gohan. There was, like, this massive civil war going on between three kingdoms, lead by Avarrdo, Vegeta, and Goku." This comment put shit-eating grins on the three men in question's faces. "You, me, Pi, and Kat were, like, outside help, recruited by Kaen to fight with him, and both Pi and Kat used war fans as their weapon of choice." Putting a hand to her chin, she mused, "What's bizarre is that the dreams had people in it I'd never met before, like Krillin and Yamcha, as well as a bunch of people I've never heard of. I mean, High Priest Gero of the Android Alliance, Frieza, Radditz; what the hell kind of names are those."

_-Fearing no one-_

There was an awkward silence in the room, before Gohan replied, "Radditz is my deceased uncle, Frieza is the tyrant who destroyed the Saiyan's planet, and Gero is the man who created Cell."

After another moment of silence, Kat commented quietly, "I think I had that dream too..."

"Same," Gohan muttered.

Videl, quite frankly, was a little scared. "What does that mean?"

"I don't know," Gohan replied grimly, "But I'm pretty sure I know who does."

_-Do you really think I want it like you do?-_

Kaen charged towards her again, and she used his momentum to flip him over her shoulder, turning to face him as the older fighter flipped and spun in midair to land facing her. The two stared each other down for a moment, before a smile broke out upon Kaen's face, and he relaxed out of his stance, Pi following suit. "Not bad Pi, not bad at all."

_-Come-_

Pi smiled back, "Thanks. We done with the warm-up?"

"That we are." Clenching his fists, Kaen gave a short shout as, with a burst of energy, he was engulfed in flames. "It's time to turn up the heat!"

_-Take me away-_

As before, Pi followed suit in activating her elemental form, but she opted for the 'slow' activation, as the people watching had never seen her do it before. Green energy began covering her body, beginning from her chest and spreading out, but the form it outlined was definitely not her own. The shoulders of her new form were wider, her arms and legs thicker and bulkier; she was even a few inches taller. When the green energy finished outlining her new, larger form, her original body faded out, leaving the emerald green visage of her Earth Elemental Form, looking the world like a compact version of Nappa, albeit green.

_-Remove the fear from my eyes-_

These elemental forms were a double-edged sword; they gave, and they took away. Like this, she had much stronger physical attacks, but her ki attacks were weaker; Kaen's form had the reverse of this. Where Kaen's form had damage avoidance, in it's ability to go insubstantial, Pi had damage prevention, through natural armour. Both, obviously, could still be hurt, but it took more out of the attacker to do so. However, these forms burned energy very quickly, so they could only remain in them for so long before becoming exhausted.

_-Feel the flame of my heart-_

Her new form was triple, if not quadruple, her original weight, but she couldn't leave the ground for any longer than fifteen seconds, or she would be forced back to normal; air trumps earth. Similarly, Kaen was, at most, half his original weight when solid, but a large enough amount of water, equal to about fifteen seconds exposure to medium-heavy rain, would 'douse' him again; water trumps fire.

_-Burning away-_

Because of her increased mass, Pi was slower in this form than she was normally, but took less damage. Because of his decreased mass, a strong breeze could actually push him around, but he was harder to hit. In their current states, they each had no more advantages against the other than they had before the change; being on opposite ends of the element cycle, Earth and Fire had no strengths nor weaknesses against each other. Which is exactly the way they liked it.

While neither form had a face, it was obvious the pair were smirking at each other as they charged forward again; well, Kaen flared forward, and Pi lumbered forward, but the effect was the same. Round three had begun.

_-All conversation tonight-_

"Wow, they're really going at it now," Gohan commented.

Turning to the redhead beside her, Videl asked, "Hey Kat, how come Pi's form looks so much different to yours and Kaen's?"

The catgirl grinned. "Curious little thing aren't ya?"

"This is all new and interesting to me," Videl defended.

"Well, it's simple enough," Kat replied. "What you see there is merely the projection, or representation, of Pi's Earth energy, controlled by her will."

Videl blinked. "This is simple for you?"

_-Hearing no one-_

Kat just shrugged, "If you'd heard the theory behind it as much as I have... Okay, try this one. Kaen and Pi's physical bodies are gone, right? As such, their current form doesn't follow the same rules, hence why Kaen and I can extend our bodies, and twist them into what should be painful shapes. When we use these forms, what you see and interact with it more like a puppet, or golem, created from ki, while our physical forms rest 'elsewhere', and the bulky form you see for Pi is what an Earth spirit, or elemental, looks like. It's green instead of the usual dirt brown because it's constructed purely of Earth ki, which is green. In the same vein, a Lava elemental would be orange, when lava itself isn't really orange in the physical world."

Videl quirked her head to one side. "How do you know so much about this?"

Kat grinned again. "Because like you, this was all new and exciting to me a while back."

_-Am I precious to you now?-_

Both Kaen and Pi realised they were getting nowhere fast. Because of his speed, flexibility, and ability to go incorporeal, Kaen was taking no more than one in every ten of Pi's hits, whereas Kaen was getting in at least five hits for each one Pi managed to throw, but each only did a tiny bit of damage; in short, he was inching her health down, and every time she made contact, she evened them up again.

Jumping back, Kaen threw his hands forward, pelting Pi with a series of blasts, and she answered in kind; as Kaen was floating in the air, all her stray shots were slung over the arena, and all his impacted the tile. When the pair of barrages ended, Kaen's form was full of holes where her blasts had gone straight through, and her form was covered in scorch marks from where his blasts hit.

As the holes began to fill in, and the burn marks, revealed simply to be soot, fell away, Kaen commented dryly, "We're going to be at this all day."

_-Oooh, am I precious to you now?-_

"Not exactly," Pi countered, "You remember that stuff you did to Gohan before?"

"Yeah," he replied, "What about it?"

She smirked, fanning the fingers of her still-extended hands. "Caress of Ten-Thousand Hells!"

Kaen swore to himself, as a multitude of threads of ki shot out from her fingers towards him. Making full use of his flexibility, Kaen aimed to twist and contort out of the way of as many as he could; he knew he couldn't avoid all of them, as the attack always hit, but he could minimise the damage done. Each thread impacted him with the force of a fist, and, were he not made of fire, would've also burnt him. As the threads tapered off, Kaen swore again, "Fuck, I always hated your old man's attacks. So fucking cheap!"

_-Fearing no one-_

"Of course they are," Pi replied calmly. "They're efficient." Closing her fists, but keeping them both pointed at Kaen, she charged more ki for her uncle's technique of choice. "Havoc Cannon!"

Kaen reacted on instinct alone, hurling a deep red ball of ki her way with a cry of "Blast Burn!" It wasn't until after he'd thrown it, when it was far too late to stop it, did he realise what he'd done. Havoc Cannon was a sonic attack, designed to first knock the victim backwards - or at least send them off balance - before hitting them again from behind, rocketing them towards the shooter, and usually an awaiting fist. Blast Burn, when it exploded, sent out earthquake-like shockwaves. When the two attacks met, it would be like two earthquakes overlapping.

_-Saviours of my soul-_

Glancing up at each other, and giving a simultaneous "Oh shit!" the pair instantly dropped out of their elemental forms, leaping into the air to minimise the impact; in Kaen's fire form, he would've been too light to regain control over his free-flight, and in Pi's earth form, she would've been too heavy to avoid the shockwave sending her to the grass outside the ring.

The two attacks collided with predictable force, the massive sonic explosion sending both Kaen and Pi careening uncontrollably on an upward diagonal angle away from the ring, and the 'base' shockwave struck the arena walls with crushing impact; in a twist of irony, the shockwave underlined Gohan's name. The shockwave then rippled up over the crowd, sending several people flying back a row, and it was only Raene and April's quick reactions in erecting a ki barrier that prevented it affecting them too. Even the fighter's backstage were affected, the weaker ones, i.e. the humans, being knocked from their feet; well, Videl would have been knocked from her feet had Gohan not stood behind her and caught her.

_-Am I precious to you now?-_

Kaen and Pi's momentum wore off when they reached the top row of the stands, the pair finally managing to regain control over their flight before flying clear past the arena, at which point in time they floated back down to the brutalised ring; the concussive force had turned the flat ring into a rocky wasteland. Simultaneously, they looked at each other and said, "Don't ever do that again."

Rolling his shoulders, Kaen commented, "Well, looks like round three's over, even if it was a little premature." Grinning, he flared into Super Saiyan with a short rising shout, adding, "Time for the finals."

_-Oooh, am I precious to you now?-_

She grinned back at him, replying, "I couldn't agree more." Clenching her fists, she decided to give the viewers another show; after all, this would be the first time anyone had ever seen a female Super Saiyan. As the change began to take root, one noticeable difference between male and female Saiyans became obvious; their hair. Whereas males' hair tended to be short and spiky, females' hair tended to be longer and straighter. As such, while her hair turned gold and increased in size, it didn't break out of the braid she had it in; sure, the hair atop her head was a touch spikier, and sure, her braid was now almost thick enough to use as a weapon, but it was still tamer than a male's hair would be.

Smirking at each other, they fell into their respective 'default' stances, the style they'd used at the start of the fight, before they charged into battle together, shouting, "Let's finish this!"

_-I cannot stop this-_

"The first ever male and female Super Saiyans, of what could be dubbed the 'new' Saiyan race from Vegeta-Sei, locked in combat," Kellre commented, a strangely satisfied smile on his face.

Gohan spun to face him. "What do you mean 'first ever'? My dad was-"

"The first ever recorded Super Saiyan," Goku cut him off.

"While you and the boy were fighting, the girl informed us they'd ascended while they were still in the past," Vegeta explained; for some odd reason, he felt... happy, to know that Kakarott wasn't the first.

_-Pure emotion-_

"Excuse me," a new voice, Shin, interrupted, "I must ask all of you for a favour."

"Tell us what this favour is, and we'll consider it," Gohan replied diplomatically.

"Very well," Shin nodded, "I must ask you that, no matter what occurs out there in the ring, you do not interrupt."

"Why would any of us interrupt?" Videl asked.

_-Falling from my eyes-_

Shin's face turned grim. "Because if I am correct in my guess, upon conclusion of the fight one of those two will be attacked by an outside force, and this attack must succeed."

"And why should we even consider helping you in this?" Vegeta sneered.

Piccolo answered for the short purple man, "That's no way to talk to the Supreme Kai!"

_-You are vindicating-_

"Supreme Kai!" Goku exclaimed in shock, a sentiment felt by the rest of the Z-Fighters; the three older Saiyans watched on impassively.

The impassive viewing from the background lasted until a crash could be heard, as Kellre was tackled to the ground by Avarrdo and his brother, exclaiming, "I was right! Let me go, I must perform an autopsy!"

"They've gotta be dead to perform an autopsy," Truniz pointed out.

Kellre just smirked, "That can be arranged."

_-Liberating-_

"What's he talking about Gohan?" Videl asked, pointedly ignoring the goings on behind the purple midget man. "What's a Kai, and why is being the Supreme Kai such a big deal?"

"The Kais oversee the universe from Otherworld," Gohan replied on automatic. "Each galaxy has four Kais, which oversee a quadrant of the galaxy; North, South, East, and West, our planet being in the Northern Quadrant. They are, in turn, overseen by the Grand Kai, and assumedly, each galaxy in the universe has this same set-up. If my guess is correct, the Supreme Kai oversees the Grand Kais, meaning whole sections of the universe, if not the entire universe itself."

"So why, exactly, does this attack need to succeed?" Goku asked.

_-Saviours of my soul-_

The Supreme Kai just shook his head, "I will explain more in time. I just ask that you trust me."

"Whoever they attack won't die will they?" Truniz asked suddenly.

Turning around to face him, Shin shook his head. "No. Their attackers don't want their life, only their energy, and Kibito can heal whoever they attack."

Grim expressions on their faces, the three men nodded, signalling their acceptance, and the others couldn't do any less. Now, all that remained was to wait.

_-Now rise-_

For five minutes, the two gold-wreathed warriors duked it out, across both the ruined arena, and the sky above it. Kaen would punch, and Pi would grab his hand. She'd retaliate with a kick, and he'd raise his knee to intercept. For the whole five minutes, every single attack either fighter had thrown was either blocked, dodged, or otherwise negated completely, and retaliated against; this retaliation in return would also be negated, and so on.

After five minutes of fighting, Kaen was satisfied with what he'd seen. Jumping back, the two fighters currently on the ruined tile, he raised his hand up to indicate 'stop', and Pi stopped her attack on a dime. Before she could ask why he'd called time, he pre-empted her with, "I've seen enough."

She gave him a confused look. "What do you mean?" Inside, she was a little scared this was meant in a negative way, as if to say he wasn't satisfied with her level.

_-Throw away-_

He smiled reassuringly at her, as if he could pick up on her hidden nerves; well, given the bond between them, he probably could. With a shrug, he explained, "I can't see us ever reaching a victor, even if we each pull out all of the tricks we know. If not for the half an hour time limit, I truly believe we'd be here all day."

"Well then what do we do Kaen?" Pi asked, feeling a lot more relieved, and pleased, by what he'd said. "I know that I, for one, don't particularly want the title, especially if I win it through a tie."

"Why don't we quit then?" At Pi's shocked look, he continued, "Well, we entered for the challenge, and to see where we stood amongst the best of Earth, and we've done that. Why don't we just forfeit the title, grab the money we've won, and I'll take you shopping or something?"

No sooner had the word 'shopping' left his mouth, Pi had shot forward, tackling him to the ground in a massive hug, exclaiming, "You mean it?"

_-The charade of your life-_

"Oh, and look at that folks!" The announcer shouted, "Pi has tackled her opponent to the ground, and it looks like she's holding him in some kind of lock."

"It's called a 'glomp'!" Someone shouted out from the fighter's lounge; Gohan, of course. Despite the situation potentially about to unfold, he found the current situation quite amusing.

Climbing back to his feet, Pi still hanging onto him like a leech, Kaen commented suddenly, "I have no rite to call you 'student' any more."

"What do you mean Kaen?" She asked quickly, an irrational fear starting to well up in her.

_-Let the flame of my heart-_

He just smiled at her again. "Because calling you 'student' implies I'm better than you; today, we are equals." As she smiled back at him, he added, "Doesn't mean I'm going to stop teaching you of course; like any good teacher, I'm not going to be truly satisfied until you're better than me."

Blinking at the sight of one of the finalists hugging the other, the announcer asked, "So, uh, what's going on?"

The couple turned to the announcer, as if just remembering he was there, and Kaen replied simply, "Oh, we forfeit."

"What?" Needless to say, the announcer was a little... shocked by the statement.

_-Burn away-_

Pi just shrugged, "Neither one of us really wants the title, especially if we get it through a judge's verdict. So, we're forfeiting our rite to the title."

"Can they do that?" One of the tournament monks asked.

The announcer just blinked again. "I guess they just did." Raising the microphone again, he declared, "Well folks, after an amazing battle, the two finalists have decided that they will not be able to reach a satisfactory verdict, and have chosen to forfeit the title. Therefore, the title of World Champion falls to our third place winner, Son Gohan!"

"But then who wins second and third places?" The same monk asked.

_-Your complacence tonight-_

Thinking it over, the announcer replied, "Well, they forfeited the champion place, so I suppose they could fight Hercule for second and third."

The monk smiled. "An excellent idea!"

"Oh no!" The newly recovered Hercule shouted, having overheard their plan. "They can have second and third, just don't let 'em near me!"

The Saiyan couple smiled a little at the human buffoon's antics, allowing themselves to relax now that the fight was over, falling out of Super Saiyan. And that was when all hell broke loose.

_-Fearing no one-_

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

Well, what do ya think of that? Gohan _deliberately_ lost the fight. I wish I could take credit for that idea, but I can't; I originally intended not to explain why Gohan lost at all, but my beta suggested adding this in, so I did.

With this chapter the tournament officially comes to a close. Who guessed from the start that Gohan would come out with the title?

Also: no, there will _not_ be a lemon in this story, although probably not for the reason one would assume. While I already know of possibly the perfect place to include one, I couldn't write a lemon to save my life, so I'm not even going to try.

At this point in time, I have the next five chapters that close off this 'book' already written, as well as five random chapters out of the next set of twenty, so I'm effectively ten chapters ahead. Go me!


	16. C16: Bound

--- Disturbance, Book 1: Convergence ---

Chapter C16 - Bound

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-Ready!-_

"Spopovich, we must attack now, while their guard is down," Yamu ordered, hefting the energy collector.

"But which one do we attack?" Spopovich questioned, "And what do we do about the other one; we can't expect them to stand and watch!"

"We'll attack the male; he seems the stronger of the two," Yamu answered, before picking up a second object; a gun-like device. "And don't worry about the female; this'll take care of her."

_-Darkness cover me!-_

"Are you sure they're gonna be attacked?" Goku asked, as the fight was over and no attack had taken place.

As if his words triggered it, Shin noticed a brief flicker of movement to the left of the arena. Shouting, "Now!" he flung his hands forward, focusing on his target, and beside him, Kibito prepared to do the same.

_-I'm not ready to die, girl-_

As the Saiyan couple walked back to the fighter's lounge, Kaen stopped suddenly, standing ramrod still, a near invisible field of energy surrounding him. It took Pi a moment to realise he wasn't following, at which point she turned around and asked, "Kaen, what's wrong?"

Through grit teeth, he replied, "I can't move."

_-Because of what you don't tell me-_

Before she could respond, three things happened in rapid succession. First, she too felt herself being restrained by some invisible force. Second, Spopovich appeared behind Kaen, wrapping his arms around him as if to hold him in place. Third, Yamu kicked her away, and fired an odd gun thing at her, launching a net that wrapped around her as she fell; the net was designed to shock anyone who tried to struggle out, but were she not already bound by something, it would never have been able to stop her, as Spopovich would never have been able to hold Kaen.

Laughing at a plan come together, Yamu spun around to face their 'captive', racing forward and stabbing him in the stomach with the energy collector. "Hold him tight Spopovich," Yamu ordered, "We need to get all of his energy."

_-I'm not ready to walk inside of where you're taking me-_

"Kaen!" The twins shouted out in shock, taking to the air to help him, before April and Raene reached up and grabbed them, dragging them back. "Mum, what's the big idea?" Oran barked.

"Kaen will be alright," She replied calmly, "Your father told me to keep you two out of it; for now, we must have faith that he'll be okay."

Lime was on the verge of crying, and were he not so proud, Oran would have been too, but nevertheless, they sat back down again. If their father said Kaen would be okay, then he would be okay. That didn't make watching him in pain any easier.

_-I'm not ready to die, girl-_

For Kaen, existence was measured in short, pain-filled moments, as his energy was ripped from his body. After what felt like a minute of this, as Yamu was still laughing gleefully about how much energy they were getting, Kaen forced his eyes open, wondering why no one had come to help. Seeing Shin standing there, his arms extended in his direction, and showing obvious strain of holding him, Kaen knew exactly what was going on. 'Fucking bastard Kai!' He roared to himself, the memories finally falling into place, 'If he won't let them help, I'll just have to help myself!'

Pi's eyes widened in shock as she saw Kaen's eyes beginning to fade to red; she realised instantly what he was going to do. _"Don't do it Kaen!"_ She pleaded telepathically, _"It's too risky!"_

_-Because of what you don't tell me-_

Kaen paid her no mind, however, as he grit his teeth, focusing on what he needed to do. After a short while, with a single shout, and a flare of fire, he disappeared, leaving Spopovich holding nothing but air, and almost causing Yamu to stab his larger associate in the crotch.

"What happened?" Yamu asked, looking around. "Did we kill him?"

His question was answered as, with another flare, Kaen's fiery form reappeared a short distance away from them, heaving as though he were panting; where he had been stabbed, the flames were a deeper red, that kept dying out and being reignited. Curling his arms and shaping a ball of fire, Kaen manipulated it into a gout of flame, shouting, "BURN!" After a few seconds of being engulfed by fire, the two took to the sky, deciding that collecting any more energy was now impossible. As soon as they left the arena, Kaen's fire form died out, and Pi, now freed, raced towards his bleeding body.

_-I'm not willing to compromise the man I want to be-_

"It's time," Shin stated seriously, Kibito moving past him and heading towards Kaen. "I must follow them, and find out where they are taking their stolen power."

"You're leaving?" Goku asked incredulously.

"I could use your help," Shin replied. "I understand if you feel you have to stay here, but I must go." Without another word Shin took to the sky, flying after the retreating Spopovich and Yamu. After a bit of conversation, Goku and Piccolo followed after him, if only to find out what was going on, Krillin and Vegeta going after them; the former took a moment to inform his wife where he was going, lest she get violent otherwise, and the latter going because he wasn't about to let Kakarott out of his sight until they'd had their fight. Gohan, however, decided to wait around for his friends first.

_-Think you're a little bit closer-_

As soon as Kibito came within striking distance, Kaen leapt up into an uppercut, growling, "Back off bastard Kai!" and sending the minor god on his ass. Before the red giant could get back to his feet, Pi used her own healing powers to fix him up; the wound itself was minor, as most of the damage done was to his energy reserves, which wouldn't really be a problem to him.

"Are you okay Kaen?" Gohan asked, checking up on him.

"I'm fine," Kaen replied, before growling, "No thanks to that asshole Kai. I am _not_ letting those shitheads get away with _my_ energy."

_-To changing me-_

Standing up again, and dusting himself off, Kibito commented, "If you come with me, I'll explain everything." With that, he took to the sky.

"Can I come with you Gohan?" Videl asked; she knew it was a foregone conclusion that he would go after them.

He smiled apologetically at her. "Sorry Videl, this is one ride I can't bring you on. I don't want you to get hurt." She opened her mouth, most likely to complain, so he cut her off with, "And if you don't like it, I'll just have to knock you out, tie you up, and leave you in a closet somewhere." When her mouth shut again with an audible click, he added, "Besides, we need someone to stay here and let everyone know what's going on, and to pick up our prize money." Let it never be said that Son Gohan didn't have his priorities right.

_-You're never winning me over-_

She smiled sadly at him. "Alright Gohan, you win. Just promise me you'll come back safely."

He grinned at her. "Come on Vi, what could happen?" With one last smile from Gohan, a wave from Pi, and a distant scowl from Kaen, the three of them took off.

_-You're wasting time-_

"Not going with them Kat?" Videl asked, somehow knowing the girl had snuck up behind her.

"Nope," the younger girl replied, "I'm weaker than everyone who left bar Krillin. If they can't handle whatever awaits them, there's nothing I could do."

"Yeah," Videl replied distantly, "I know the feeling."

_-Think you're a little bit closer-_

As the trio of teenage Saiyans approached South Capitol, they noticed Kibito floating in the middle of the city, a satisfied look on his face as he watched them approach. Scowling, Kaen flared his aura into existence, increasing his speed to race past him, and Pi followed suit. Gohan took the time to shrug at Kibito before he sped off after them, leaving Kibito to catch up. Such was their speed, they caught up to the slower travelling Supreme Kai not long after the four Z-Fighters that had followed him, picking up at the edge of their hearing Shin say, "I'm glad you decided to come. Thank you. Without all of your help I would not be able to defeat them."

_-To changing me-_

"You need _us_ to beat those two?" Goku asked incredulously.

Shin shook his head. "No, it's not Spopovich and Yamu that concern me. It's the wizard controlling them."

"A wizard?" Piccolo asked in mild confusion.

_-You're never winning me over-_

With a nod, Shin explained, "Long ago, at a time when the human race was still in its infancy here on Earth, a powerful wizard from the distant edge of the universe first appeared. His name was-"

"Bibidi," Kaen blurted out, his eyes blank, staring off into some unseen distance.

"How do you know that name?" Kibito barked.

The young Saiyan shook his head, his eyes clearing as he replied, "I don't know. I don't know where the knowledge came from; it's just there."

_-You're wasting time-_

Shin shook off the irregularity, continuing, "When Bibidi made his appearance, he brought a terrible monster of his own creation whose sole purpose was to destroy. The name of that monster was-"

"Majin Buu," Pi interjected, her eyes, like Kaen's before, staring into the distance.

"Buu huh?" Goku commented wonderingly, "So what did this guy do?"

_-Leave me be-_

Like before, the Supreme Kai ignored the fact that two of their number had information they shouldn't; logically, Pi's excuse would have been the same as Kaen's, and they didn't have time to question them more thoroughly. Instead, he replied, "Majin Buu had no feelings or conscience. He was designed as an instrument of fear and terror. His single desire was to eliminate all living things, and he was very good at it. With Majin Buu under his control, Bibidi set about the systematic destruction of all life in the universe. Hundreds of planets were reduced to rubble. Entire galaxies were erased from existence; no force could withstand his evil powers."

Vegeta smirked to himself. 'Ha, this Majin Buu sounds like it would've made a decent Saiyan.'

_-I'm not ready to die, girl-_

Shin's head snapped around to glare at the Saiyan prince. "No, you're wrong Vegeta. There were five Supreme Kais at that time, each one of us no less than a thousand times more powerful than the one you call Frieza. When we fought Buu, only one of us survived; me. He would've wiped out your entire Saiyan race with just a breath, like so many others."

"Whoa! Not good!" Goku exclaimed.

As Vegeta scowled to himself, Kaen commented casually, "Oh yeah, I probably should've mentioned he can read minds. Must've slipped mine."

_-Because of what you don't tell me-_

Returning his attention forward again, and focusing to ensure they were still following Spopovich and Yamu's trail, Shin continued, "In time, Majin Buu became so powerful that even Bibidi had difficulty controlling him. Whenever he needed to rest, Bibidi used a spell to seal Majin Buu inside a ball where he would lay dormant until the counter spell was invoked. Bibidi used this spell to transport Majin Buu from planet to planet. The ball was eventually brought here; the Earth was intended to be Majin Buu's next target."

"So it's obvious you were able to defeat this Bibidi before he could release Buu on the Earth," Gohan commented, "But you didn't destroy it, instead choosing to leave him here, lying dormant."

"That's right," Shin nodded, "We thought it best that way. We believed Bibidi was the only one who could free Majin Buu. We were mistaken in that belief."

_-I'm never going to tow the line of your conformity-_

Kaen barked a laugh. "For someone who oversees the universe, you really don't know how it works do you?"

The Supreme Kai ignored him. "Bibidi has a son, also a wizard, and as if often the case in this universe, the son is as evil as the father. If he isn't stopped, Majin Buu will live again."

"Babidi," Pi spat in disgust.

"Great," Krillin whinged, "Why does that not surprise me?"

_-I'm not ready to die, girl-_

"So I guess Babidi is controlling the guys from the tournament," Goku surmised. "Well, it looks simple enough: all we have to do is stop Babidi from waking Majin Buu, right?"

Shin nodded, "Yes that's right, but I'm afraid it won't be as easy as you make it sound. Babidi's abilities as a wizard are not to be underestimated. It may take all of us to defeat him."

"Wow," Gohan mused, "Sounds like this guy's pretty strong."

_-Because of what you don't tell me-_

"Babidi's strength lies in his magic; physically he is not very powerful," Shin supplied, "Nor was his father, but a wizard does not need to be. Instead, his magic enables him to harness the evil that exists in the hearts of people like Yamu and Spopovich, and thereby control their actions. Imagine what would happen if someone _truly_ powerful were to come under his spell."

"If Yamu and Spopovich didn't enter the tournament to win, why were they even there?" Gohan asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Kaen remarked, "They wanted energy."

"Precisely," Kibito replied, "Babidi intends to resurrect Majin Buu, but before he can do this he requires a tremendous amount of pure energy. Babidi sent them to the tournament because he believed it would be the easiest way to gather such a large amount of energy; it was only after you transformed into Super Saiyans that you became targets. They obviously chose to attack the winner, believing he was the strongest of all."

_-I'm not ready to leave the realm of anonymity-_

"Just my luck," Kaen muttered sourly.

"The Supreme Kai and myself knew that Babidi would send someone to the tournament, so we also entered," the red giant continued, "The ball containing Majin Buu has vanished. We journeyed to where it lay before but we found no sign of it, so he believe it is in Babidi's grasp and he waits only for the energy to open it. And upon his success the world will slip into darkness the like of which has never been viewed by human eyes."

_-Think you're a little bit closer-_

The silence stretched on for several minutes, before Goku finally asked, "I don't think I understand. I mean, you had your chance to finish off Majin Buu when you were fighting Babidi's father; why didn't you take it?"

"It wasn't worth the risk," Shin replied tersely, "We feared that any external stimulus might accidentally set him free. The ball in which Majin Buu was confined was hidden deep within the Earth where no human could ever find it, so we allowed him to lie dormant. If our actions _had_ caused him to be released we would have been powerless to stop him."

_-To changing me-_

"This is odd," Kibito commented, as the group began to land, "We have searched this entire area before."

The nine-strong group took landing on a massive stone spire, Shin, Kibito, Krillin and Goku taking the front, and Kaen, Pi and Vegeta landing in back; this left Piccolo and Gohan between the two groups. "Everyone suppress your energy," Shin ordered quietly, "We _don't_ want them to know we're here. Not just yet."

"Is that Babidi? The one on the left?" Goku asked, observing the bluish creature that bore more than a striking resemblance to Frieza's third form, to which Yamu and Spopovich were holding the energy collector.

"No," Kaen replied quickly, before the Supreme Kai could. "Just an underling. You can spot them by the 'M' on their foreheads.

_-You're never winning me over-_

Casting an eye around, Gohan commented, "That ground looks like it's been disturbed recently; like it's been all dug up or something."

"It's so obvious now!" Kibito growled to himself, "That's why we couldn't find his spaceship when we were flying over; he buried the whole thing underground!"

"And that means, there's a chance Babidi has learned that Kibito and I have followed him here to Earth, otherwise there would be no reason for him to hide his ship," Shin added.

_-You're wasting time-_

"I say we attack them now," Piccolo suggested seriously, "The more time we wait, the longer we give them to resurrect Majin Buu."

"While I don't object to the 'kill them all now' plan, not even Babidi is stupid enough to release Buu inside the ship," Pi replied, "He still needs it to get to the next world once he's finished with this one."

"Which is why we will bide our time, waiting for the right opportunity to present itself," Shin declared.

_-Think you're a little bit closer-_

After several moments of tense silence, Piccolo shouted, "Hey, someone's coming out!" What exited the ship sent a look of horror frittering across the faces of Kibito and the Supreme Kai. The first person was a very short yellow skinned man, maybe two feet if you were generous, wearing an orange cape; he didn't walk out, he floated. The second was a tall man, about Kibito's height and colour, wearing a blue caped outfit; the horns adorning his head are what finalised his identity in the otherworldly beings.

"Dabura!" Kibito gasped in shock. "That cursed wizard. He's even managed to snare the King of the Demons!"

_-To changing me-_

"Dabura huh?" Goku commented, casting his eyes across the taller one; the 'M' on his forehead was the giveaway. "Is he strong?"

"Of course he's strong," Shin replied, "_He_ is the _King_ of the _Demon_ World. A shadow world that exists on the other side of this one, like two sides of the same coin. One of _you_ may be the strongest in _thi_s world, but in his dark Demon world Dabura is the strongest by far!"

"So that makes the little guy Babidi," Gohan commented, his voice in battle-mode.

_-You're never winning me over-_

"You are correct," Shin nodded, "And he is the most dangerous of them all. Remember it is not his size that you must concern yourself with, but his magic. If he is able to keep a being such as Dabura under his control, just imagine the horror he could inflict on _this_ world. I never anticipated that Dabura would be here too. I'm afraid that _this_ changes _everything_."

Vegeta sneered, "Surely the _Supreme Kai_ isn't afraid is he? Hmph, fine. You can cower up here behind the rocks if you want; I'll take them on myself if you don't have the stomach for it."

"Hold on Vegeta," Piccolo interjected, "If this 'Dabura' is _that_ strong, and Babidi has _him_, what's going to keep _us_ from falling under his spell?"

_-You're wasting time-_

Twitching slightly, Kibito replied, "A wizard seeks out the evil desires in a person's heart. Once discovered he manipulates them, enhances them, and ultimately uses them to control. _This_ is how Dabura was captured. Once Babidi infiltrates a person's heart his influence is complete; all he needs is to find but a trace of evil to bring someone under his power. Only those pure of heart and free of evil desires like us have a chance of fighting him successfully."

Kaen and Vegeta turned to stare at one another, one eyebrow raised, before they burst into peals of hysterical laughter, so much so that they needed to support each other lest they both fall over; fortunately, the direction of the wind, and the sheer distance prevented Babidi and his minions from hearing. "Vegeta? Pure of heart?" Kaen snorted, "He'd make the Devil himself blush."

_-Wasting time-_

"This runt, pure of heart?" Vegeta chuckled, "I'd wager he makes the Grim Reaper work overtime."

Pi sighed, "You really didn't spend much time doing recon work on this planet in recent decades did you?"

"Hey Krillin," Goku called out, before Kibito or Shin could comment on the other's Saiyans' antics, "These guys seem pretty tough; don't you think you should get back to your family? I'd hate to think of what your wife would to do me if I let anything happen to you."

Krillin blushed slightly, scratching his cheek, "Yeah... She does have a bit of a temper, but hey, he he he, I love her."

_-Get away from me-_

Before the former monk could take off, a gasp escaped Gohan's throat, as Babidi, having taken the energy collector and walked towards the ship, turned back to Spopovich, his eyes glowing. Then, the burly fighter began swelling up, clutching his neck as if choking, as his eyes began bugging out of his head, and purple blood leaked from his nose. Then, with one final scream, he exploded.

Screaming in terror, Yamu took to the sky, fleeing like his life depended on it, which it did. Before he could get too far, however, the Frieza look-a-like levelled his hand in Yamu's direction and, no doubt at the behest of his master, destroyed the once-human fighter with a single blast.

_-Ready!-_

There were horrified looks on the faces of all bar Vegeta, Kaen and Pi, the three of them having seen the true face of war before, although Gohan was a bit calmer than the rest. "What kind of people kill their own partners?" Krillin asked shakily.

"Only every evil dictator ever," Kaen replied with a shrug.

Coldly, Vegeta added, "They'd out-lived their usefulness, and no tyrant keeps dead weight around for long."

"This is bad," Goku commented grimly.

"That's the cruel game Babidi plays," Kibito declared, "He seeks out only the most powerful fighters, he uses his magic to bring them under his complete control, and when he has no more use for them..." He paused dramatically, "He disposes of them as though they were diseased animals. If he frees Majin Buu he will destroy all life on Earth just as he has destroyed Spopovich and Yamu; that is Babidi's evil wish."

_-Think you're a little bit closer-_

After a few tense moments, the group noticed Babidi and the unknown minion head into the ship, and yet Dabura remained outside. "Hey look," Goku said, "Why is Dabura just standing outside by himself?"

Kaen instinctively used one hand to push Pi so that she was standing mostly behind him; it was a futile gesture, as both knew that if it came time to fight, Pi would be right up the front with him, but he felt better knowing he was in a good position to defend her, and she felt better knowing he wanted to protect her like that. His instincts proved correct as a small swirl of dust around Dabura indicated he was gathering power.

As a gasp was torn from the Supreme Kai's throat, Vegeta shouted, "He knows that we're here!"

_-To changing me-_

Before anyone could react, Dabura sped towards them, stopping his charge with his palm directly in front of Kibito's stunned face, floating over the edge of the cliff. Gathering energy, the demon roared, releasing a blast at point blank range, and vaporising Kibito where he crouched.

The Supreme Kai shouted in horror, "Kibito!"

Gritting his teeth, Goku leapt up at the chuckling demon, diving past him as Dabura glided out of the way, before Vegeta leapt up, throwing a series of punches the taller fighter blocked; neither Saiyan was fighting at anywhere near their full potential though, merely testing the Demon King's skill. Before any more such tests could be carried out, however, Dabura jumped back and hocked a ball of spit at Krillin.

"Look out!" Shin screamed, but by then, it was too late, the saliva making contact with the short man's cheek. "Oh no, I should have warned them!" He commented mostly to himself.

_-You're never winning me over-_

Growling, Piccolo leapt towards Dabura, shouting, "You're mine!" However, he'd hardly gotten a few feet when Dabura spat at him too, the fluid impacting his gi, and he quickly landed again. Spinning quickly, Dabura proceeded to spit at Kaen and Pi as well, but the former just casually flared his aura and evaporated it, and the latter calmly tossed a rock into it's path to take the hit; whatever powers it may have possessed, it _was_ just spit after all.

When Krillin cried out in shock, and a good deal of fear, the group turned to him and saw that starting from his cheek and his fingertips, which had touched the spit, he was fairly quickly turning a grainy grey, and before too long, he was completely enveloped. As the 'grey-ness' began spreading over Piccolo too, Goku started leaping down the rocks towards them, crying, "Guys, hold on!" By the time he made it, however, Piccolo too was enveloped. Spinning to face the Supreme Kai, Goku asked, "What's happening to them?"

_-You're wasting time-_

"Turned... to stone," He replied dazedly. At the dead fighter's questioning exclamation, he explained, "It's one of Dabura's powers. _Anything_ he spits on turns to stone. We can do nothing for them now." As Goku started running for them, shouting his denial, Shin added quickly, "Wait! Goku, don't touch him!"

"Why not?" The Saiyan demanded hotly.

"If we touch either of them now they might break," Shin explained, "And then there's no possible way to put them back together!"

Laughing deeply, Dabura commented, "I'll leave you one chance to run; take it! Unless you'd rather end up like your friends." With that, he flew back into the submerged ship.

_-Think you're a little bit closer-_

"What're we gonna do?" Gohan asked, after a few moments of terse silence.

"Hey, Supreme Kai!" Goku barked, "You said if we break them we can't put them back together. Does that mean that there's a way to get my friends back to normal?"

"Yes, there's a way," Shin replied defeatedly, "They'll return to normal _only_ if we defeat Dabura."

"Is that all?" Goku asked confidently, "Good, then it'll be easy. We'll have 'em back in no time."

"Let's do it dad!" Gohan added, "You and me together. I think it's time we show 'em who they're dealing with."

"What're we waiting for? Let's go!" Without another word, Gohan and Goku took off, flying towards the ship.

"Wait Goku!" The Supreme Kai shouted, "You'll fall right into their trap!" When the pair slowed, he explained, "They're counting on the fact that you'll charge into their ship to stop them. It's safer for all of us if you just wait out here."

_-To changing me-_

"I'm sorry, but I just can't leave my friends like that," Goku replied.

"Watch over everyone for us," Gohan added, before the two took off again.

"Wait!" Shin shouted again, but by then it was too late.

"Sometimes the best way to deal with a trap is to spring it deliberately and wait to see who shows up," Pi commented sagely.

"And _I_ for one don't plan on being out here when that happens," Kaen added, before the two took off in pursuit.

As Shin hung his head, Vegeta walked up, saying, "Sorry, but patience has _never_ been our strongest virtue." With no more than that, he took off after the others.

"They're all fools," Shin sighed, before taking flight after the other five.

_-You're never winning me over-_

Landing on the ground near the doorway, Goku and Gohan took a moment to look before they leapt, allowing the other three Saiyans to catch up. Satisfied with what he saw, Goku said, "Okay, let's go." One after another, the five Saiyans stepped off into the void below and used their ki to lower themselves, floating down to the eventual ground.

_-You're wasting time-_

Babidi laughed to himself as he watched the intruder's approach through his crystal ball. "Here they come!" He cackled, "I'd be shocked if any one of them had a brain."

Dabura joined his master in laughter, "Trapped so easily."

"I thought I asked you to get rid of all but the strongest three," Babidi asked his faithful servant.

Bowing his head, Dabura replied, "I attempted to do away with the other two, but they countered my attack, and I did not want to risk being drawn into full conflict outside where their energies would be wasted."

After a moment of thinking that over, Babidi replied, "Good thinking Dabura. They are of no matter, and in the end, they will just speed up Majin Buu's resurrection."

_-You're wasting time-_

The five of them landed in a fairly non-descript circular room, the walls and floor a fairly deep blue. Looking around, Gohan commented, "This place doesn't look much like a space ship."

"Hey, there's nobody here," Goku observed, "I thought they'd be waiting for a fight." Kaen and Pi refrained from commenting, knowing that anything they said now could be heard by Babidi; they weren't going to tip their hands.

"Hey, that looks like a door over there," Gohan pointed out, "Think we should try to bust it down?"

Before Goku could reply, he sensed the approach of a sixth. Looking up, he noticed the Supreme Kai floating down from the hole in the ceiling. When the purple-skinned otherworldly being had landed, Goku asked, "So, you couldn't resist the draw of a good fight after all huh?"

Turning around, Shin glared at him. "You have _no_ idea what you've gotten yourself into." As if to cement home his point, there was the sudden sound of gears whirring, as the hole above them closed up, sealing the only visible way out of the room. "Once inside this ship, there is no wait out," Shin commented, "Our only hope of escape now is to destroy Babidi."

_-Wasting time-_

Kaen grinned, "Works for me."

Blinking, Goku asked, "Well, that _is_ what we came to do, isn't it?"

Vegeta smirked, "I'll solve all our problems and blow this place into oblivion."

"No you won't!" Shin barked, "The sudden shock could accidentally set Majin Buu free!" When Vegeta just scowled at him, Shin glared at him. "The degree to which you've under-estimated him is astounding! Don't you understand? Even at a _fraction_ of his power Majin Buu could _annihilate_ this _entire_ planet and all of its inhabitants in an instant; he can't be stopped!"

Kaen refrained from commenting that pretty much _everyone_ in this room was capable of destroying an entire planet with but a fraction of their power, although a quick moment of non-talk confirmed Gohan, Vegeta and Pi were all thinking the same thing; best to let Babidi think they were weaker than they were. Instead, he and Pi just stood back, waiting for Stage One to begin.

_-You're wasting time-_

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

Man Shin likes to hear himself talk... There was a ridiculous amount of exposition to be had, so I had to cut out some of the less essential parts, like Babidi and co's conversations.

I am very glad you people are enjoying this series, however, there is a reason I update when I do. Some weeks I can write, some I can't; this week, for example, I got no writing done, so I dropped from five weeks ahead to four. If I updated more frequently, the chances of missing an update would increase.

Next time, the battles in Babidi's ship begin, and we'll see just how outclassed the evil extra-terrestrials are.


	17. C17: Step Up

--- Disturbance, Book 1: Convergence ---

Chapter C17

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-One, two, three, go!-_

Vegeta scowled, "I thought there would actually be a fight in this place!"

Overhearing his words as he stood inside the airlock-like doorway between the fighting arena and the main ship, Babidi's henchman grinned to himself. Knowing his master would hear, he asked, "Master Babidi, has the time come?"

_-Broken-_

Babidi sighed, "Oh, my dear Puipui..."

"Please!" He begged, "I'm becoming quite anxious!"

_-Yeah, you've been living on the edge of a broken dream-_

Mulling it over, the little flea-man replied, "Then, let's put that to good use. Go see our 'guests' and don't leave a _drop_ of their energy behind."

Puipui grinned massively. "Yes. Not a drop!" He cracked his neck to either side for a moment, before folding his arms, and taking a deep, relaxing breath.

_-Nothing-_

Turning away from the crystal ball in his hand, Babidi seemed to just notice the energy collector in his other hand, commenting, "Look at me, I almost forgot. I should inject this energy before it loses its purity." The purple ball in his hand stopped glowing, floating away from his hand and into the stand a dozen feet away. "Come with me Dabura, I think we know how _this_ fight will turn out."

_-Yeah, that's the only thing you'll ever take away from me-_

"Yes, sir," the demon agreed, following his master towards the ball of Buu.

_-I'm never gonna stop-_

With the whirring of gears, the group of fighters noticed the door begin to slide open slowly, revealing to the Supreme Kai's mild horror the fighter they'd seen outside. Laughing, he greeted, "Welcome fellow warriors, you've arrived at Stage One."

_-Ain't never gonna drop-_

"It's about time someone showed up," Gohan commented.

"So, what's Stage One?" Goku asked.

_-Ain't no different than it was before-_

Deciding to humour them, Puipui replied, "Master Babidi is at the bottom level of this ship. We are currently on the top level, or Stage One, and there's no way of getting down to him unless you beat the warrior that appears at each stage. You need not concern yourself with getting to Stage Two, because unfortunately for you, the first warrior you must face is none other than me. And that means that none of you will make it out of here alive!"

_-So take some good advice-_

He burst into hysterical laughter that was meant to sound menacing, but just sounded retarded. Staring at him like he was an idiot for a moment, Goku laughed, asking, "Alright guys, so which one of us gets to fight first?" Puipui's laughter cut off abruptly.

_-You better stop and think twice-_

Babidi stabbed the energy collector into the vein-covered ball, pushing forward the trigger to inject the energy, and causing the needle on the ball's stand to waver around as it increased. Once the injection was complete Babidi withdrew the collector, turning to check the gauge, and his eyes opened as wide as possible as he saw what it read. "What? A third full? We already have a third of the energy we need! Amazing! All of that from just one shot?" (1)

_-Before you take your first step-_

"Impossible!" Dabura cried, leaning forward to see for himself.

_-Out that door-_

Turning to his minion, Babidi mused, "Hmm... Then I'm wondering from how many hundred of people did Yamu and Spopovich gather all this?"

"Well, it's too late to ask them _now_," Dabura pointed out bluntly.

_-If you wanna step up (step up)-_

Scratching his cheek, Babidi commented, mostly to himself, "Right. But if they gathered this from hundreds of people in such a short amount of time, maybe I shouldn't have destroyed them..."

_-You're gonna get knocked down (knocked down)-_

Dabura grinned coldly, "No, you made the right choice. The energy we gather from those five fighters in Stage One will be enough to bring the gauge up to full. It's possible that our opportunity to resurrect Majin Buu will come today!"

_-If you wanna step up (step up)-_

Babidi burst into gleeful laughter, "Then we can mark today as the beginning of the end!" Turning serious, he commented, "You know, I've waited so long for this it's hard to believe that it's actually happening!" He turned away from Buu's ball, adding, "Let's see how Puipui's doing." Focusing on his crystal ball, he ordered, "Show me Stage One." The ball started glowing, the crystalline surface displaying the room in question, and the five fighters therein playing Janken. "What! They haven't started fighting yet? What? What in the _world_ are they _doing_?" (2)

_-You're gonna get knocked down-_

The five fighters were chanting "One, Two, Three!" again and again, as they played game after game of Janken, all of which either ended in a draw, or a tie. It was a rule that in order for there to be either a winner or someone eliminated, it had to be unanimous; that is, all players bar one had to lose for there to be a winner, or all player bar one had to win for there to be someone eliminated. (2)

_-You had your chance to walk away-_

In a twist of bad luck, Kaen was the first person eliminated, the fighter muttering sourly, "Damn. Well, I call dibs on whatever is waiting for us on the bottom level." Pi was eliminated soon after him - most likely a deliberate act on her part - leaving the other three to battle it out.

_-Live to see another day-_

Eventually, when both Goku and Gohan chose paper, Vegeta chose scissors, making him the victor. He smirked triumphantly, crowing, "Scissors win!"

_-If you wanna step up (step up)-_

Goku looked crestfallen, "Aww, I wanted to fight this guy."

Vegeta just grinned at him, "Well, sorry you won't get your chance."

_-You're gonna get knocked down (knocked down)-_

"Wait, please!" Shin cried out in panic. When the five of them turned to him, he said, "We have to attack him together!" The five of him just gave the traditional 'What are you, stupid?' looks; well, except for Goku, who instead gave him the 'You're joking, right?' look, as unlike the other four, he actually _was_ a nice guy inside. Shin balked. "You don't _really_ intend to fight him by yourself do you?"

_-You're gonna get knocked down-_

"Of _course_ I do!" Vegeta replied, folding his arms, "What other way is there?" That, the Supreme Kai didn't have an answer for, standing there staring like an idiot.

_-Suffering-_

Puipui stared at them dumbly for a moment, before he recovered his wits, laughing, "Master Babidi told me to be _very_ careful because your high energy makes you strong and dangerous, but you're nothing but a bunch of morons!"

_-Yeah, that's the only thing here that's left for you-_

Vegeta spared him a disdainful glance, "The only moron in this place is Babidi. He didn't investigate this planet very thoroughly did he? If he had he'd know that the most powerful fighters alive are standing right in front of you!"

_-Nothing-_

"You? The most powerful fighter alive?" Puipui asked in disbelief. He laughed, zipping around the room a bit before pausing, commenting, "That kind of arrogance will get you killed." Laughing again, he started zipping around the room once more.

_-Yeah, that's the only thing you're ever gonna fuckin' do-_

Clenching his fists, Shin stated, "Don't underestimate him! Babidi uses his magic to attract the strongest fighters in the universe!"

_-I'm never gonna stop-_

Goku put a calming hand on his shoulder, replying, "Hey, calm down! Let's just let Vegeta take it from here, okay?"

_-Ain't never gonna drop-_

Puipui landed again. "You know, none of you will ever leave here!" He jumped to the side. "And every ounce of energy you lose as I pound you will be absorbed by the room." He darted forward, "And as the energy's absorbed it will be channelled directly to Majin Buu."

Pi grinned, "Thanks for the explanation."

_-Ain't no different than it was before-_

Vegeta just smirked, replying cockily, "Well I guess that'd unfortunate then. Since you won't be able to hurt me, you won't be able to steal my energy."

_-So take some good advice-_

Puipui darted forward to get right up in Vegeta's face. "Keep dreaming! Before I'm done with you I'll do much more than hurt you!" He shot backwards. "When you fight Puipui death is a certainty!" He burst into laughter again.

_-You better stop and think twice-_

Vegeta scowled to himself. "This guy is _really_ annoying." Vegeta blurred forward, commenting, "Welcome to the end of your life, and I promise it's going to hurt. Unfortunately for you, I had to resist the urge to kill someone who looked a lot like you for over thirty years, and I'm feeling a little pent-up." As Puipui relaxed out of his cocky stance, Vegeta asked, "Ready for the pain?"

_-Before you take your first step-_

"The fool has no idea what he's up against," Dabura commented, completely confident in his ally's abilities. Babidi just laughed.

_-Out that door-_

Tensing his leg, Puipui leapt into the air, spinning around as he flew towards Vegeta with one leg spiralling around himself in what should have been a powerful spin kick, shouting, "You're mine!" It probably would have really hurt a normal fighter too, but Vegeta was _far_ from normal, calmly raising one arm up to block, much to Puipui's shock; Vegeta's arm didn't even move from the impact.

_-So if you wanna step up (step up)-_

Jumping back, he threw a punch at Vegeta's head, but the Saiyan calmly raised his other hand and caught it with his palm, before casually moving it aside. Fighting back his shock, Puipui flipped backwards a few feet, commenting, "Well, you fight pretty good, but not _that_ good!" Vegeta just relaxed out of his stance, and didn't even flinch as the white carapaced fighter charged forward, launching a flurry of attacks at him. The Saiyan powerhouse just calmly turned his head away from the punches, and didn't even have to more his torso except to lean away from the occasional kick.

_-You're gonna get knocked down (knocked down)-_

Quickly growing tired with the game, Vegeta caught the next kick that was to come his way, letting it sink in for a few moments, before lifting one knee out and extending his leg for a powerful kick to the torso, which send Puipui crashing into the wall.

_-If you wanna step up (step up)-_

"There you go, didn't I tell ya?" Goku commented casually. "See, Vegeta can handle this guy no problem."

_-You're gonna get knocked down-_

Climbing painfully back onto his hands and knees, Puipui looked up to see Vegeta standing right in front of him. Growling, he charged forward to attack, but ricocheted backwards when Vegeta swung his leg up under his chin. Flipping to make land on the wall with his feet, Puipui leapt away, never noticing Vegeta blur out. As he landed back on the ground, he looked out across the room, surprised to not see his opponent anywhere.

_-You had your chance to walk away-_

"You looking for me?" Vegeta asked from behind him. As he spun around, Vegeta quickly dropped him again with a right hook.

_-Live to see another day-_

"He's good..." Shin commented quietly.

"He's _really_ good," Gohan corrected. "It looks like he's gotten a lot stronger; I haven't really had a chance to spar with him this past month."

"Well, that's what happens when you spend every waking moment training," Goku replied.

_-If you wanna step up (step up)-_

"This is pathetic!" Babidi spat in disgust, "What is Puipui doing out there? Just look at him; he's losing! It's not good, not good at all. How are we supposed to get energy for Majin Buu if he can't damage that fighter?"

"Master, don't worry," Dabura replied, comforting him in an evil sort of voice, "Puipui has a _lot_ more fight left in him."

_-You're gonna get knocked down (knocked down)-_

"What's wrong?" Vegeta asked derisively, when Puipui took his time climbing to his feet. "Had enough?"

_-You're gonna get knocked down-_

"No!" The alien fighter shouted, jumping up and lunging at his opponent, but Vegeta calmly leap-frogged over him, spring boarding off his elongated head. As he spun around, Puipui was met by a solid right kick from Vegeta, making him slide back a few feet. Before he could recover Vegeta attack, laying into his armoured torso and head with a series of punishing blows. Swiftly growing bored, Vegeta laid out the fighter again, sending him sprawling with a powerful elbow drop to the head.

_-You're gonna get knocked down-_

Growling to himself, Babidi turned to Dabura, asking, "Tell me, where's a place where Puipui can fight his best?"

A tiny bead of sweat running down his face at Puipui's performance, the Demon King replied, "On his home planet; Planet Voon."

Babidi turned back to the crystal ball. "Yes. Planet Voon it is." Raising his hands, Babidi began focusing his magic, waved of yellow lines appearing around his hands, before he released it with a shout of, "Papara papa!"

_-And now you've crossed that line-_

Vegeta halted in his casual stroll towards his opponent when the room seemed to disappear, leaving behind an orange dust-filled wasteland in it's place; the sight of stars and large planets in the sky showed that this planet didn't have a visible atmosphere like Earth. All that remained of the original room was the blue circle within an orange circle that once sat in the room's centre.

_-You must be out your mind-_

Looking around, Gohan asked, "What happened? Where are we?"

"Little toad..." Kaen commented, "He's used his magic to change the room, in an effort to give Puipui the advantage." Shin gaped at him, surprised that he'd stolen the very words from his mouth.

A smile graced Goku's face as he mused, "Ah, should be interesting."

_-If you wanna step up (step up)-_

Climbing to his feet again, Puipui laughed. "Welcome, to _my_ home planet. I have won many great battles here, and by know you've noticed that _my_ planet is very different from yours." He bent down, picking up a rock from the ground. "It's the gravity. Ten times stronger than Earth!" He dropped the stone, which fell to the ground like... well, a stone, burrowing a hole as it landed. "Your hopes of winning are falling faster than that stone! You won't leave here alive!" He burst into laughter once more.

_-You're gonna get knocked down (knocked down)-_

"Oh please, like he's the only being who's home planet has ten times Earth's gravity..." Kaen muttered sourly, drawing Shin's attention again.

Pi sighed, "They _really_ didn't do their homework on this one."

_-If you wanna step up (step up)-_

Vegeta smirked, instantly shutting Puipui up. "_Maybe_, if this was _five_ _hundred_ times gravity, you _might_ have an advantage, but ten? I don't even feel it."

Puipui glared at him. "You're just bluffing, I know you are!"

"Maybe I am," Vegeta replied with a mild shrug, "Hard to tell."

_-You're gonna get knocked down-_

"Enough!" He shouted, charging forward and launching into another flurry of punches, but just like the last one, Vegeta calmly leaned his head out of the way of each and every attack, before silencing him with a gut punch, followed quickly with a close-range kick to the stomach, sending the carapaced warrior flying back to crash into a huge boulder behind him.

_-You had your chance to walk away-_

Climbing out of the crater he found himself in, Puipui stared in shock as Vegeta calmly bounced from foot to foot, making tiny hops, similar to how a boxer would, before falling into stance, asking, "So, you still think I'm bluffing?" Vegeta burst into laughter as Puipui started growling. Puipui roared and raced forward, Vegeta darted towards him, ducking down and raising his hands to rest inches from his opponent's chest, as the alien screeched to a halt. It availed him not, however, as with a smirk Vegeta unleashed a massive wall of energy, at least twice as tall as himself, at point blank range. When the dust cleared, Puipui was nowhere to be seen.

_-Live to see another day-_

As the room faded back to normal, Vegeta barked a laugh. "Ha. I'm amazed that Babidi would send us such a weakling."

_-If you wanna step up (step up)-_

"And yet you took your time beating him Vegeta," Kaen taunted.

_-You're gonna get knocked down (knocked down)-_

The older fighter just shrugged, "As I said before, I was working out some pent-up aggression towards Frieza."

_-You're gonna get knocked down-_

Goku and Gohan raced towards the centre of the room as the sound of gears heralded the inner blue circle descending, the older of the two commenting, "Hey look, the floor's opening up."

"It looks like an elevator shaft," Gohan observed.

_-You're gonna get knocked down (step up)-_

"Come on!" Goku shouted, wasting no time in jumping down.

"Right behind you dad!" Gohan added, following his father.

_-You're gonna get knocked down-_

"Children, so easily amused," Vegeta remarked, lacking the usual heat of one of his insults, as he made his way down, and with a shrug, Kaen and Pi followed him. (3)

_-You're gonna get knocked down (step up)-_

Sticking his head back out of the hole and waving, Goku cried out, "Hey, Supreme Kai, what're you waiting for? Come on, let's go!"

Shin blinked owlishly. "Oh, I see. They're _very_ strong."

_-You're gonna get knocked... down!-_

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

(1) - Note that in the series the gauge went straight up to half, not a third. However, as this time it was Kaen that was drained instead of Gohan, and he wasn't ascended at the time, in this story the gauge stops there.

(2) - Janken is Rock-Paper-Scissors, for those who don't know the term.

(3) - This line of Vegeta's actually _is_ in canon, which amuses me to no end.

Whoops, almost forgot about this update... I'm just glad I uploaded these things ahead of time...

Now, I have come across a slight connundrum that I can't find a suitable solution for, so I decided to pose the question to my readers. With this 'book' of twenty chapters drawing to a close, I have 2 choices for the next set. I can either create a second story for them, and in turn, a third story for the final 20 chapters, or I can leave it as one story of up to 60 chapters, and just rename it every twenty or so. I was leaning towards the latter myself, but if people feel strongly about one option, please feel free to elt me know, either in reviews, emails, or private messaged. You're (obviously) got until I post chapter 21 to let me know.


	18. C18: Hunger

--- Disturbance, Book 1: Convergence ---

Chapter C18 - Hunger

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-When I see what I want I'm going to take it-_

Babidi quivered in barely suppressed rage, watching through his crystal ball as the Supreme Kai and his five fighters landed in Stage Two, identical to Stage One except that the floor and walls were pink instead of blue. Watching them amble around, he growled, "That fighter beat Puipui far too easily! I thought there wasn't supposed to be _anyone_ this powerful on Earth!"

"I don't understand it," Dabura commented in a confused tone, "When we checked this planet three hundred years ago there was no-one here that strong."

"Curses!"

"They may be powerful but there's no need to worry," Dabura commented calmingly, "There are still two more levels for them to get through. And even if they _do_ succeed, _I_ will be waiting for them here."

_-If it's against some law you can bet I'll break it-_

"It's my turn to fight next!" Goku declared, beginning his stretches. "So, I wonder who's behind that door. I sure hope he's gonna be tough enough for me."

_-My need to feed gives me the will to survive-_

As Babidi cackled to himself, Dabura asked, "Master Babidi, who are you going to send to defend Stage Two?"

Mulling it over for a minute, he replied finally, "Send Yakon."

"What?" Dabura exclaimed in surprise, "The situation hardly calls for such extreme measures."

"I believe we may have underestimated the strength of those fighters," Babidi replied by way of explanation, "You see, Puipui was defeated easily, without inflicting any damage to their fighter at all."

"Of course," Dabura agreed, before commenting, "But if Yakon fights now I'm certain he will finish everyone off, and there won't be anyone left for me."

"We're not here to have fun!" Babidi scolded, "We're here to free Majin Buu and destroy Planet Earth, got it? Understand?"

Dabura bowed, "Yes of course. Forgive me." Pointing to a random minion nearby, looking almost exactly like Puipui save for a different shaped head, he ordered, "Tell Yakon to fight. At Stage Two!"

_-I gotta find it fast to keep me alive-_

Glaring at the door with his hands on his hips, Goku whined like a petulant child. "Hey, come on! Get out here!"

"Why don't we just smash through the floor and get to the bottom of this place?" Vegeta asked irritably.

"We can't do that!" Shin exclaimed, "Even though he's not at full power, a sudden shock could free Majin Buu, and that would be disastrous!"

Vegeta scowled, grumbling, "I'm beginning to think this 'Majin Buu' might not be worth fighting after all. And the same goes for that Dabura."

Shin stared at him like he'd just grown three more heads. "What? No, you can't be serious! Then you won't fight them?"

"Well why should I?" Vegeta asked. "From what I've seen of Dabura so far I don't see any reason to be afraid of him. I watched his movements outside, and the only thing I have to worry about is his spit. If I avoid that I know I can beat him. Your friend Kibito was careless, that's all."

_-I can't believe my...-_

Turning to the deceased fighter to his right, the Supreme Kai asked, "So, do you agree with him Goku?"

"Yeah, Vegeta's right," Goku replied with a barely visible shrug. "Dabura's not _that_ tough. If it was a few years ago we _might_ be afraid of him. About seven years ago we fought this guy named 'Cell'; now _that_ was tough."

"You should know dad," Gohan replied with a grin, "He killed you." The saying 'time heals all wounds' seemed to have applied to Gohan, at least when he was talking to his father.

"I hate to break it to you Supreme Kai," Pi commented, "But you're probably the only person here Dabura's a threat to."

'I can't believe this...' Shin thought to himself in amazement. 'Can these Super Saiyans _really_ be that strong?' Turning to the silent Kaen, he added, 'I suppose it _is_ possible. It was extremely difficult to restrain Kaen's movements, and he wasn't even a Super Saiyan at the time, so he wasn't at full power.'

_-Hunger-_

"Hey!" Goku shouted angrily, "Get out here now! Let's go! I am ready to fight!" As if he had spoken the magic word, the 'M' emblazoned door slid open, revealing a creature that looked to have stepped right out of a horror movie. Recoiling in shock, Goku exclaimed, "Ugh, what is that thing?"

Standing in at about twelve feet tall, it's short (compared to the rest of it's body) leg, bending in two different directions in a Z formation, were atop two-clawed feet. It's massive arms lead to three clawed hands, and there was a fourth, larger claw at the wrist. Atop it's massive chest was a drooling mouth with at least two rows of teeth, and a pair of glowing yellow eyes. Two additional spikes could be seen on the monster's back, behind it's shoulders, and trailing from his back was a spike-tipped tail. The 'M' of the Majin was located on his chest.

"What? Oh no!" Shin exclaimed in horror.

"Wow, he sure is an ugly one," Gohan commented.

The big green thing started laughing. "Oh yummy. Who do I eat first?"

Goku took a few steps forward, musing to himself, "Why'd I have to get this guy? Sure he's big, but he kinda looks dumb to me..."

"I know that monster," Shin declared, "I know who he is. His name is Yakon."

"You've met him before?" Gohan questioned.

_-I want it so bad I can taste it-_

The Supreme Kai turned to face him, answering, "That's right. He is one of the most feared creatures in the universe, and he is extremely strong. I don't think Goku will be able to beat him on his own." Kaen, Pi and Vegeta just shared a look, before rolling their eyes; the Supreme Kai _really_ underestimated them.

Yakon cast his eyes around the assembled fighters, his drool plopping onto the floor, before he noticed Goku drop into a fighting stance. Licking what passed for lips, Yakon reached his arm back, swinging forward to attack his opponent, but Goku just leapt over the arm. Launching after him, Yakon threw a series of punches, kicks, and the occasional tail swipe, before flying past him and twisting to land feet-first on the wall. Then, he sprung forward, the spikes on his wrists extending to form blades almost as long as his arms as he dashed past Goku again.

Landing back on the ground, having just narrowly missed being cleft in half, Goku glared at his opponent, before his gi realised it had been cut. Crying out in shock, he muttered, "That was close!"

_-It drives me mad to see it wasted-_

"So," Gohan mused to himself, observing the green giant and his crossed blades, "He's a big one, but he's quick."

Shin turned to face him, remarking, "That's what I was trying to tell you! And Goku can't beat him!"

Gohan just gave Shin a 'what are you, stupid?' look, commenting, "No, dad's _more_ than enough for that guy. Just watch and see."

"Watch and see?" Shin parroted shakily.

_-When I need it so bad that it's burnin' me-_

Yakon laughed deeply as he uncrossed his blades. "You were very lucky, but you won't get away this time!"

Turning his head up to watch the blades, Goku mused, "I'd better watch it. One slip and those claws will tear me in two!"

_-I'm hungry!-_

Babidi cackled to himself. "Look, he's afraid."

Dabura smirked. "Yes, he won't last long against Yakon."

"Oh, I'd like to watch him panic some more, but there's no time for that," Babidi commented, quickly sobering. Holding his hands above the crystal ball, he asked, "Can you hear me Yakon?"

_-I'd do anything to get it and feel no regret-_

_"Listen to me!"_ The group looked around as they heard the voice echo through the room. _"Oh you're doing well my marvellous monster. I'm proud of you, do you know that? With your help, Majin Buu will be resurrected sooner than expected. I have a treat for you that will help you finish off these intruders quickly. How would you like to visit your favourite planet: the Planet of Darkness. Would you like that my pet?"_

Yakon grinned, an expression that looked quite disturbing on his reptilian face.

_-Time is running out and I ain't found it yet-_

"I don't understand," Dabura commented, "There is no need to help him with this Earthling, Yakon is strong enough to beat him on his own."

"Yes," Babidi agreed, "But it's all this fighting inside the space ship. See, a shock could wake Majin Buu, and we don't want him to be released with insufficient energy do we? We must make sure he comes to life with his _utmost_ power!"

Dabura smirked again. "Yes, of course. Good plan."

"I know." He turned back to the crystal ball, raising his hands. "Now watch this! Yakon doesn't need my help, but he's going to get it! Papara papa!"

_-I can't believe my...-_

The six-strong group looked around in ranging degree's of shock as the room started growing dark, before fading away entirely, so much so that they had trouble even seeing each other; Yakon had disappeared completely. Walking forward carefully, Goku cried out in pain as he hit his shin on something, hopping on one leg for a moment before crouching down to see what he'd hit. "A stone? That hurt." The pain gone, he looked around, commenting, "Hey what happened? Who turned out the lights? It's so dark I can't see a thing!"

Yakon laughed deeply as he hopped backwards a few times, before hanging from the ceiling. "Welcome to the Planet of Darkness!" He bellowed, his blade claws retracting. "You're scratching your head aren't you? You can't see me, but I can see you!"

"You can?" Goku asked.

"Sounds like he feels right at home," Gohan observed.

Shin explained, "Yakon was born in this place. It's in the far end of the universe, where no light can reach it; thus, the Planet of Darkness."

"You're mine now!" Yakon shouted, dashing forward. "I'm gonna eat you!" At the last possible second Goku, who was still glancing back towards the Supreme Kai, leapt over Yakon, knee-dropping him into the rocky ground. Burrowing through, Yakon burst out almost a hundred metres away, looking around for his opponent. "Where is he?"

Goku floated up behind him, shouting, "Eat this!" He sent him careening towards, and through, the rocky outcrops below with a two-fisted slam. Yakon raced around the cave at high speed, sling-shotting himself around a pillar to launch himself at the newly landed Goku's unprotected back, but Goku just ducked under the claw swipe, spinning around to kick Yakon under the chin.

_-Hunger-_

Gaping, Shin asked dazedly, "Hey, can any of you tell what's going on out there."

"Yes, Kakarott's winning," Vegeta replied bluntly.

"No surprise there," Kaen added in a bored tone.

_-I want it so bad I can taste it-_

Goku landed calmly about twenty feet in front of the group, as Yakon crashed into a massive stone spire over a hundred metres away. Climbing out of the crater, Yakon asked in shock, "You can see in the dark?"

Goku smirked, "No, but then I don't really need to. I can sense your movements by the subtle vibrations in the air. Oh yeah, I can _smell_ where you are too." As Yakon recoiled in shock, Goku added, "I _do_ have _one_ way I can see you." He grinned. "Like this." Clenching his fists, Goku focused his energy with a rising shout, the brilliant corona of the Super Saiyan bursting into life around him. "Yakon! Come on out Stinky! I seem to have found my spare flash light!"

_-It drives me mad to see it wasted-_

"What is that guy up to?" Babidi asked in fear, "He looks different than before. Oh no, he... he's changing!"

"So what? He's just emitting light," Dabura replied disinterestedly.

Babidi turned to one of his other minions, barking, "You! Run and get me my power meter at once! I want to measure the energy level of this guy!" Said minion returned swiftly, carrying the requested item.

"Master Babidi, what does the meter say about his power level?" Dabura asked with some interest.

"He's getting huge! (1)" Babidi commented as the gauge kept increasing, before gaping as he read the final result. "I don't believe it! It's over nine thousand! (1)" His eyes bugged out, "How can an Earthling generate over nine thousand killi's of energy?"

Dabura's jaw dropped. "What, nine thousand! (1) Impossible! With nine hundred killi's it's possibly to destroy a planet! Nine thousand? I tell you a human with that much power does not exist!"

"Do you think the meter's broken?" Babidi asked, "If he really has nine thousand killi's of energy, Yakon doesn't even have a chance! My poor Yakon only has two thousand killi's; do you know what that means!"

_-When I need it so bad that it's burnin' me-_

Growling, Yakon darted forward, intent on slicing Goku in half, but the Saiyan fighter just ducked under the blow, driving his fist into the beast's crotch, and sending him flying back into the hole he came from. (1)

Kaen grinned to himself. "I think the balls are inert." (1)

Gohan returned the grin. "I don't think his body can take it." (1)

With a smirk, Vegeta joined in. "From the strength of that punch, he's likely to find them in his other pants pocket." (1)

Pi sighed, shaking her head. "Tsk, _so_ immature." (2)

_-I'm hungry!-_

Yakon laughed deeply as he extracted himself from the hole again. "Well done. So you fixed it so I can no longer hide in the dark."

Goku's eyebrows shot up. "Huh. I wonder why he's being so calm."

As if to answer him, Yakon smirked. "Time to feed." Opening his mouth wide, the green beast somehow managed to roar while taking a massive breath, so much so that the air was visibly being drawn into his mouth, as evidence by the golden light being sucked in; at least, it looked like he was just taking a breath.

His hair and clothes being sucked towards the massive vacuum, Goku wondered, "What is he doing?"

A deep rumbling laugh started coming from Yakon's mouth, the suction continuing, as his stomach began flashing gold. A golden light building up in his throat, the wind picked up, Goku's golden aura being ripped from his body, and his Super Saiyan transformation with it, the ball of energy flying towards Yakon's awaiting mouth, where-upon the beast swallowed it noisily, sighing out a puff of gold cloud.

_-It's burnin' me!-_

Crying out in shock, Goku quickly examined his hair, finding he'd been dropped from Super Saiyan. Looking around, Gohan commented, "It's gone pitch black again."

"Yes. Kakarott is bad to his normal state," Vegeta observed.

"Yummy!" Yakon commented, "I've never eaten such a rich and brilliant source of light before!"

"What's that?" Goku asked.

_-Burn!-_

Shin gaped in horror; he'd been doing a lot of that today. "Yakon is a type of monster that eats light energy. Goku is a Super Saiyan; the energy he is emitting is like a delicacy to him!"

"You catch that dad?" Gohan called out, "Yakon eats light, so if you turn Super Saiyan, he'll just eat it again!"

Yakon laughed, rubbing his stomach. "Very tasty. The best light I've ever had! I want some more of it; give my some more of it now!"

Goku mused to himself, "So, he eats light..." As Yakon leapt forward to stand mere metres away from him, the deceased fighter got a brilliant idea. "Okay, are you ready for the second course?" He burst into Super Saiyan again.

Yakon laughed. "I'm going to make a meal out of you."

_-Hunger-_

"What on Earth is Kakarott trying to do now?" Vegeta muttered.

"Has he gone crazy?" Shin asked, mostly rhetorically. "Why does he insist on fighting alone? He knows he can't beat him. Does he think this is some kind of game?"

"Let him do what he wants," Kaen ordered, "He may be an idiot most of the time, but he wouldn't purposely get eaten alive. He has a plan."

_-I want it so bad I can taste it-_

Yakon's mouth opened wide, and like before, a massive roar preceded the vacuum. Fighting to keep from being sucked in, Goku bent his legs, clenching his h ands and gritting his teeth as he focused on bringing more and more energy to the fore; as long as he kept feeding energy into his Super Saiyan transformation, he wouldn't be sucked out of it.

_-It drives me mad to see it wasted-_

"What is Yakon doing?" Babidi asked rhetorically, before answering his own question, "He's sucking up all the energy for himself; he's wasting it! He _knows_ that unless he inflicts some damage to that guy I can't give his energy to Majin Buu!"

_-When I need it so bad that it's burnin' me-_

The vacuum continued on for many minutes, the wall of wind sucking in loose rocks, which shattered and crumbled upon impact with Yakon's jaws. Gritting his teeth, Goku dug deep, dragging more energy to the surface, and finding his efforts rewarded. Yakon's body was slowly inflating like a balloon, his stomach flashing bright yellow. Smirking, Goku decided that this was the perfect tie to end things. Much to Vegeta's shock Goku dug deeper still, bringing himself to the point of Super Saiyan 2, which was instantly sucked out of him as he was dropped back to level one. The massive golden ball flew down Yakon's gullet, and the monster reached critical mass, exploding in a shower of dust.

_-It's burnin' me-_

"Look! Look, he blew up!" Shin commented in amazement.

"Alright! Dad won!" Gohan cheered.

Vegeta's face remained neutral. "And with energy to spare. Interesting."

_-It's burnin' me-_

The power meter clattered noisily to the floor as Babidi and Dabura gaped at the crystal ball, the Demon King muttering, "Yakon..."

Quivering in fear as he watched the group of fighters descend down the newly opened floor, Babidi muttered shakily, "Yakon went boom. Oh no! Why did Yakon go boom?"

Dabura scowled, "It was all a trap. Yakon ate more energy than he could handle. And for his greed, he suffered the ultimate consequence."

"But why? No, my precious Yakon!" Babidi's fear soon turned to anger. "That guy; he's gone and ruined everything! Curse him; a curse on all of them!"

_-Time is running out and I ain't found it yet (It's burnin' me)-_

"Way to go dad!" Gohan cheered, looking around the new room; it looked just like the two before it, save that it was orange. "I guess that monster bit off more than he could chew huh?"

Goku just laughed. "Sure did!"

Pi grinned, "Trust Goku to come up with a plan that involves death by over-eating."

Vegeta scowled to himself. 'It's obvious now what Kakarott has gained in these seven years of training: he's found a way to push his limits as a Super Saiyan even further!'

_-Time is running out and I ain't found it yet (It's burnin' me)-_

"Dabura, that is no ordinary Earthling that's for sure," Babidi commented; the fear had returned.

"Master, don't worry," Dabura soothed, "He's mine now; I'll take care of everything." When Babidi turned to face him, Dabura laughed confidently, "For Stage Three, _I_ will be the warrior they must battle, and you have my word that I will fill Majin Buu with their energy when I destroy every one of them!"

"But Dabura," Babidi protested, "If _you_ are beaten by _them_ then who will protect _me_? You must promise me that you'll win!"

Dabura smirked. "I'll win. I am Dabura! I am the Demon King! I don't care _how_ many killi's of energy they have, there is no-one in the universe who can exceed my power!"

_-Time is running out and I ain't found it yet (It's burnin' me)-_

"You'd think Babidi could've at _least_ varied up the decor a little bit; all these Stages look the same!" Gohan commented.

"Get used to it," Kaen commented, "I have a feeling we're going to be here for a while." As if to prove his point, Kaen calmly sat down against one of the walls, Pi walking over to sit down in his lap.

"Well hopefully the fighter to come through that door will be worth the wait," Goku replied. "Gohan, you're next!"

_-Time is running out and I ain't found it yet (It's burnin' me)-_

"Goku, listen to me!" The Supreme Kai ordered, "This is not a game! Babidi's henchmen come from the four corners of the universe, and every one of them is incredibly strong!"

"They haven't been so far," Pi commented, resting her head against her mate's shoulder.

Ignoring her, Shin continued, "We've all been lucky so far, but I think from now on we should all fight together!"

_-Time is running out and I ain't found it yet (It's burnin' me)-_

There was a moment of silence in which all the Saiyans shared looks, all saying the same thing: 'He's not serious is he?' Eventually, Goku replied, "Nah. Don't you worry about it Supreme Kai. Gohan doesn't _need_ any help. Besides, that would be unfair."

Shin gasped. "Unfair?"

"Well, Vegeta and I both got to fight alone, so don't you think Gohan should have a turn for himself to?"

"I can take care of myself," Gohan commented, so Shin's deepening shock.

_-It's burnin'-_

Babidi was feeling a lot more confident now, having been reassured on Dabura's skills. "Yes, go and get them."

Dabura laughed. "Master, I'm going to crush them all!"

As Dabura started walking off, a minion asked, "Ah, where are you going sir? Stage Three is the other way!"

_-It's burnin'-_

"Dabura's going to get into the fighting spirit in the Meditation Room," Babidi explained. As the door closed behind the Demon King, the evil wizard mused, "I'm glad he's taking this seriously. He can be such a devil." He laughed at his own joke for a second, before commenting, "I just can't wait to see the looks on their faces when Dabura walks through the door!"

_-It's burnin' me!-_

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

(1) - I know these lines don't make the most sense, but I had to include the joke. If you don't get it, you clearly need to LURK MOAR, as you have obviously been living under a rock. If you want to understand it, search YouTube for 'Over 9000', 'I hope my body can take it', and 'The balls are inert'. And yes, I do see the irony in including DBZ sound byte meme's in a DBZ fic.

(2) - Pi's comment is directed at the characters, for using those lines marked with (1), the beta, for suggesting including them, and the author, for actually putting them in.

Well, the current concensus seems to lead towards keeping it as one 60 chapter story, but feel free to give your for or against opinions.


	19. C19: Hate

--- Disturbance, Book 1: Convergence ---

Chapter C19 - Hate

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-Bury the priest and burn religion alive-_

"Wow, it's getting late," Gohan commented, "How long is Babidi gonna keep us waiting?"

"Relax Gohan," Goku replied, walking up to his eldest son. "He's probably just having a hard time finding someone strong enough to fight you."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Gohan agreed.

_-Baptized at birth with the black brush's wine-_

"I would've preferred to fight you Kakarott, then come to this place." Vegeta muttered sourly, "This has been a waste of my time battling these cretins!"

"I know what you mean Vegeta," Gohan added, "I was looking forward to duking it out with my dad too."

_-The uncrowned king unholy-_

"Oh yeah?" Goku replied challengingly. "I'm ready for the both of you, any time, any where."

Shin just gaped in silence. 'These Saiyans are impossible! They enjoy the thrill of a challenge so much that they ignore the dangers of fighting. Reckless!'

"Yeah, we do that Supreme Kai," Pi commented off-hand. When the purple man turned to face her, she grinned. "You're not the only one who can read minds you know."

_-Forget about the crucifix-_

"So Videl, just what in the... heck is going on?" Bulma asked, censoring her words for the kids nearby. In the past ten or so minutes they had just held the awards ceremony, with Videl stepping in, at Gohan's request, to receive the awards for him, and Kat taking Kaen and Pi's place; after all, for those two it didn't matter who got second and who got third. Now, there was just the closing ceremony remaining, so Videl and Kat had slipped away and returned to the group in the crowd.

The human girl shrugged. "To be honest Bulma, I'm not entirely sure. All I know is that Yamu and Spopovich stole Kaen's energy, and the guys took off after them to stop them."

_-My rising sign is 666-_

A grin on her face, Kat jumped up and down like a kid, exclaiming, "I know what's happening! Kaen told me telepathically." When she saw everyone was paying full attention to her, she continued, "Right, what's going on is that those two who attacked Kaen are working for this wizard guy who's trying to revive this ancient evil, and to do that he needs energy, so the guys went to go stop this wizard dude before he brings about the end of all life as we know it."

There was very little reaction from those listening, Yamcha even commenting calmly, "Ah, _that_ old ploy."

_-Can't you see the way they twist and turn, you watch it burn-_

Videl gave them all a weird look, commenting, "You're all taking this remarkably well."

Chichi shrugged. "It's hardly the first time we've had to deal with our friends and family to stop some evil being bent on destroying everything we hold dear."

"You get used to it after the first couple of times," Bulma added disinterestedly.

_-Just sign right here and watch the tables turn-_

Strangely satisfied with that reply, Videl turned to Kaen's group of friends, asking, "So what's your excuse for being so calm about this?"

Hawk just shrugged, replying, "Would worrying change anything?"

Wrapping an arm around her boyfriend, Falcon added, "We've all been through a lot already, and if there's one thing we've learnt, it's not to stress about something you can't change."

_-You want the world-_

"Works for me," the pig-tailed girl commented, "The question is, what're we gonna do now?"

"Nothing," Yamcha replied. "Other than Tien, everyone that left is the strongest warriors we have; if _they_ can't handle it, we certainly can't. There's nothing _we_ can do at this point."

_-I'll show the way-_

Videl noticed the Saiyans present, Kellre especially, gave him a glare that seemed to say 'speak for yourself human'; she didn't know how she knew there was a 'human' remark tacked on to the end, and quite frankly, she didn't want to know either. Turning to Kat, she asked, "So what's happening now?"

The young redhead just shrugged. "Dunno. Last message I got was that they were heading into the ship, then nothing. Ship must be shielded against telepathy or something."

Fuming silently to herself at the feeling of uselessness now coursing through her veins Videl sat down heavily, trying to tune out the ceremony going on below; it was just her father blathering something or another anyway.

_-Just raise your fist and let me hear you say-_

"Who do they think they are keeping us waiting so long? Come on!" Vegeta shouted angrily. For ten minutes they had been waiting for Babidi's next fighter, and in that ten minutes the Supreme Kai had been required to talk Vegeta down from breaking his way into the lower levels no less than twice; patience truly never was one of the Saiyan Prince's strongest virtues.

_-Hate!-_

"I wonder who they're gonna send out next," Gohan wondered out loud, turning to his friend for his opinion; Kaen, after all, had displayed a high level of knowledge of Babidi thus far. Kaen, however, just shook his head; he and Pi were trying to maintain as low a profile as possible.

"There's really no telling," Goku commented helpfully; well, it was _like_ help.

_-You want it-_

"Where are they? Sleeping?" Vegeta growled.

Gohan laughed, commenting, "Well, after those moves you and dad showed off in the last two stages, you probably scared them off!"

_-Say hate!-_

"I hope they didn't _all_ run away," Goku remarked, "You haven't even had your turn!"

Gohan grinned. "This is kinda like being on a game show." He threw on a fake game show voice. "I wonder who's behind door number three."

_-You need it-_

Goku grinned excitedly, "I can't wait to see how much you've progressed over the years. I mean, you were just a boy when you defeated Cell; I bet you're _twice_ as strong now."

Gohan scratched the side of his cheek, replying, "To be honest, I'm not sure how much stronger I'll be. I mean, I didn't get to train as much as I'd have liked - you know how kaasan is, plus I had Goten to take care of - so I couldn't push myself as hard as I would've liked. While I know I'm stronger, I'm a little afraid I might've reached a plateau."

_-Say hate!-_

"Gohan has been _far_ too busy going to school and going out on dates to do any _serious_ training," Vegeta sneered. Giving him a teasing smirk that was mostly serious, Vegeta continued, "Of course, I _could_ be wrong. Maybe he's been training between classes, or during PE or something."

Gohan just shrugged away the insults, retorting, "At least I didn't get my ass handed to me by a fighter who couldn't even be bothered fighting at their maximum."

_-You want it-_

As he watched the vein in Vegeta's forehead start to bulge, the Saiyan Prince having no come-back for that, Shin thought to himself, 'This is amazing! As strong as these five are, they're not even at their maximum! But why wasn't I able to see this? I'm the Supreme Kai! How could mortals from the Lower World have _this_ kind of potential without me being aware of it?'

_-Come on, come on, come on, come on-_

Before the Supreme Kai could think on it any more, the whirring of gears heralded the arrival of the next challenger, a pink hand preceding the blue-clad form. "What? Impossible!" Shin shouted, horrified. "It's Dabura!" Trying to reign in his fear, he mused, 'I can't believe Babidi would send him so soon! It's only Stage Three!'

_-Get it, get it, go!-_

Dabura smirked confidently. "I must say I'm impressed. Beating Yakon, and advancing to Stage Three is _far_ beyond what any other mortal has managed to do. Yes, it was _quite_ unexpected indeed. So now you must face me, which means, you will progress no further!"

Vegeta smirked back cockily, keeping his arms folded. "Hmph. Your boss must be _nervous_ if he's sent out his number one guy. Why doesn't he come out himself? He too _scared_?"

_-Get it, get it, go-_

Dabura just held his hands up to either side, replying, "Let's dispense with the idle talk. I'd prefer it if you'd just attack; all of you, together!"

"Hey, wait a second!" Gohan shouted. "It's _my_ turn to fight, and that's exactly what I plan to do!"

Dabura just growled, "Impudent fool!"

_-Incarnation can bring down the stars-_

Deciding to have some fun with the supposed 'Demon King', Gohan commented, "This is a lousy place for a fight though; it's way too small. A secluded place in the mountains sounds good, or maybe a nice spot on the beach... Wait, no, then we'll get sand in our boots..."

Dabura's growl returned, only louder this time, showing that Gohan had succeeded in riling him up. "Bah! Silence child!" Throwing an arm back, Dabura dropped into his stance, shouting, "You will fight me here and now!"

_-Five-thousand times, and their service is ours-_

_"Dabura, wait a second!"_ The displaced voice of Babidi called out. _"I was thinking, it might _not_ be such a bad idea to pick another location for the fight. You see, to revive Buu we're going to need the space ship intact."_

Relaxing out of his stance, Dabura replied, "Yes, I understand."

_"Any preferences?"_

_-Obscene, unclean, unholy-_

Dabura grinned confidently, "Perhaps a planet similar to this one. I don't want an unfair advantage."

Babidi's joyous cackle echoed around the room. _"Dear me, you really want to show them don't you Dabura? Very well, as you wish. Here goes. Papara papa!"_

_-The losers, dope-fiends, and don't forget-_

As the scenery flashed past, Shin gasped, "Oh, what's this?" The terrain soon settled, revealing a landscape of rivers and stone spires underneath a pink sky. This was a world Shin recognized: it was the Demon World, the dark mirror of Earth, and as such, it followed much the same 'rules'; it was, however, Dabura's home planet.

Bowing mockingly, Dabura asked/stated, "Well then, let's begin, shall we?"

_-The worthless, no good, piece of shit-_

When Gohan nodded, slipping into his own stance, Goku commented, "Gohan, stay focused."

Gohan grinned, nodding again. "Not a problem dad." After a moment of tense silence, in which Dabura seemed to be waiting for Gohan to act, the Demi-Saiyan's grin slipped to a neutral mask, as he leapt into the air, blurring forward, and the battle began.

_-Come with me and we'll drink a toast to anarchy-_

Trunks looked around quickly, checking to see if anyone was watching him. Trunks was bored, and whenever he got bored, he caused trouble, and usually dragged his partner in mischief Goten along for the ride; speaking of which... "Psst, Goten," Trunks whispered, keeping his voice to the minimum required for actual sound do the parents wouldn't hear him, "I'm bored."

"Me too Trunks," the other boy replied in a similar tone.

_-All we need is excess and ecstasy-_

"Sounds like our dads are gonna have a lot of fun," Trunks muttered sourly, hoping Goten would take the bait; it was always more fun when he could blame Goten legitimately.

The lavender-haired child was not disappointed, as Goten whispered excitedly "Hey Trunks, why don't we go see this wizard? Maybe we'll get to fight him!"

_-You want it all-_

Trunks grinned in triumph. "Cool idea! Let's go!"

The two boys started sneaking off slowly, trying to remain under the parental radar, but without even turning around Chichi barked, "Where are you going young man?"

_-I know the way-_

"Toilet!" Goten chirped quickly, using his usual innocent tone to his advantage. When no further argument was brokered, they kept walking up the stands until they were out of reach of their parents' ire. Grinning, the two of them let out an excited whoop and blasted off.

Realising she'd been had, Chichi shot up, spun around and shouted, "You two get back here this instant!"

_-Just raise your fist and let me hear you say-_

Oran sighed, he and his sister standing up as he commented, "We'll go with them, make sure they don't do anything stupid." Before he could get too far, Faile quickly grabbed his arm, jumped up, and kissed him on the cheek. Staring at her bewilderedly, he asked, "What was that for?"

_-Hate!-_

"For luck," She blushed. "Sis always kisses Hawk for luck before a race, so..." She smiled sweetly at him, "Be careful, okay?"

He smiled back. "Always."

_-You want it-_

As the twins started lifting off, Bulma asked, "You two think you can catch them? I think they jumped into Super Saiyan when they took off."

_-Say hate!-_

Lime just grinned. "We're a lot faster than we look." As if to prove her point, the pair of them took off like a rocket, leaving a sonic boom from a standing start.

As soon as the twins were gone, Chichi rounded on the Saiyans present, barking, "You knew the boys were going to take off didn't you?"

_-You need it-_

"Of course; didn't you?" was April's swift reply.

_-Say hate!-_

"If you knew, why didn't you stop them?" Bulma asked.

Raene shrugged. "A: They're not our kids. B: No Saiyan is going to stop another from seeing a fight."

_-You want it-_

"But they could get hurt!" Chichi shrieked.

April just frowned grimly. "If anything happens to them, it means the first wave of fighters has fallen, and as you said yourself, there is no second wave. Better to go out at the beginning than survive to watch everyone you care about fall."

_-Come on, come on, come on, come on-_

All was silent across the pink-skied planet, before the silence was broken by a demon's roar, followed swiftly by the collapse of a stone spire, and a series of explosions; one of Dabura's attacks had missed. Floating away from the dust, Gohan cast his eyes up at the chuckling Dabura, the pink demon floating back and flinging his cape open; he noticed now that Dabura's cape had been designed to resemble bat wings when thrown open, albeit white bat wings.

_-Get it, get it-_

Darting forward, Gohan quickly twisted out of the way as Dabura reared back and flung an arm forward, a wave of near-transparent blue energy streaking past. When said energy struck the pink river below, the water was neatly split down the centre from the force of impact, before filling back in again. He twisted out of the way again as Dabura flung two more, the waves of energy neatly slicing off a pair of stone spires behind him.

_-Hate!-_

To prevent himself being cleft in half, Gohan dropped down into the water, swimming until he was underneath the Demon King, and firing a blast upwards. Dabura smirked confidently, raising a hand to block it and commenting, "The fool." He was unprepared, however, when Gohan phased in on his right, charging towards him and forcing him to decide which was more important to block. He raised his other arm up to fend off Gohan, but received a kick to the head for his troubles, sending him flying into a spire a hundred feet away, as Gohan quickly dove out of the way of his own attack.

_-You want it-_

The rocks created by Dabura's landing started floating in the air, revealing the demon himself glowing red with energy, before he roared and sent them flying at Gohan. Quickly raising his hands up to block, the Demi-Saiyan was driven backwards into another stone spire, the rocks crashing down around him. Dabura landed near the crash site, walking confidently forward and laughing all the while, before a golden explosion sent the rubble flying, heralding Gohan's return, bigger, badder, stronger. The Super Saiyan teen glared down at his gaping opponent, the cold teal eyes noticing the trace of fear in the yellow eyes before him.

_-Say hate!-_

"Finally," Vegeta commented gruffly, "We'll get to see a _real_ test. Let's see how this Dabura does against a Super Saiyan."

"Yeah," Goku agreed, "It always makes things more interesting, that's for sure."

_-You need it-_

Kaen grinned to himself. Now that there were no longer any walls to lean on, he and Pi had relocated themselves to the circle thing that once sat in the middle of the room, Kaen leaning back on his hands, and Pi leaning against his shoulder. A touch of mirth in his voice, he commented, "Has anyone else noticed that this fight is Pinkie verse The Brain?"

_-Say hate!-_

Still glaring at his opponent, Gohan suddenly disappeared. Shouting a surprised "What?" Dabura suddenly felt him reappear moments before he saw him, Gohan's fist now driven into his unprotected stomach. Rearing back, Gohan cold-clocked him with his left, sending the demon soaring backwards, before phasing in behind him and delivering a punishing back kick to Dabura's face. The Demon King plummeted to the ground, kicking up a massive cloud of dust. Landing calmly beside the crater, Gohan pointed his hands in the direction of his fallen opponent and began firing waves of attacks.

_-You want it-_

"Oh, what astounding power that young man has!" Babidi declared to himself in worry. "Oh no! Dabura!"

_-Come on, come on, come on, come on-_

Gohan stared deep into the dust cloud, awaiting Dabura's return, and his eyes darted to one side when he felt it. Sure enough, Dabura phased in behind him, aiming to punch him in the back of the head, but Gohan calmly spun around and grabbed his wrist, stopping the growling demon cold. Smirking, he swung his leg up to kick the captured Dabura, and the two began trading blows, two lights dancing across the sky before, with one final explosion, they separated, the two fighters landing on opposing spires.

_-Get it, get it, go!-_

Powering up to about half of his maximum in his Super Saiyan form, Gohan shouted, "Come on Dabura! Show your true power; you can't win at this rate."

Dabura scowled, before chuckling to himself. "You want a glimpse of my true power? Well so be it! I didn't know you were in such a hurry to die!" Letting out a primal roar, green lightning began shooting around him, jumping between his outstretched fingers, and pulsing along his limbs. His power level rising, Dabura began laughing demonically, confident in his strength.

_-And you know it's plain to see-_

As one, the two fighters leapt towards each other and began trading attacks, each of which was blocked or dodged by their opponent. Fist met fist, knee met knee, until finally Gohan connected with a kick to Dabura's face, sending the Demon King careening towards the ground. No sooner had he landed, however, when he began leaping around, finally landing on the side of a cliff, before a second kick from Gohan drove him through it and out the other side.

_-In our society-_

As Gohan charged towards him again Dabura leaned back, taking a deep breath, before belching a massive gout of flame at his opponent, burning a semi-circular tunnel through the rocky surface the ground they stood on. Gohan, however, dodged to the side and continued his charge, only to be forced to dodge a second burst, and then a third. Growling, Dabura stopped belching flame and stood stock still, fading out as the charging Gohan's fist flew through the air he'd stood in.

_-All of us will bleed-_

The real Dabura, floating over the river to the left, growled, "Looking. For. Me!" before firing a deep red energy blast. Waiting until the last possible second, Gohan coated his fist in ki, before punching the energy ball back where it came, and catching the unprepared Demon King in the chest, and sending him skipping across the river to crash into the bank behind it.

_-But your war is not with me-_

Vegeta growled to himself. "He's wasting time! Why doesn't he just finish Dabura off?"

"Relax Vegeta," Goku soothed, "I'm sure he has his reasons."

"What do you mean Goku?" Shin asked in shock, "How can Gohan win? Dabura is a _lot_ stronger than Yakon or Puipui."

"That's okay Supreme Kai," Goku replied, "So's Gohan."

_-There are many of those who oppose us-_

"Alright then, round two," Gohan declared, floating over to Dabura. "Let's do it! Whenever you're ready big guy!" Dabura smirked, and the two fighters faded out, blurred lines dancing around until the collided with a resounding crash, one of them flying backwards and digging a trench through earth and water. The phase dance continued, the two reappearing for just long enough to make a single attack - usually one that wound up blocked - before disappearing again.

_-There are many of those who oppose us-_

Watching them from the bank, Goku mused, "What does Gohan think he's going? A direct attack won't work on this guy; he should know better than that."

"This is what happens when you don't train enough," Vegeta remarked, "He's lost his fighting sense. Pitiful."

"You're wrong Vegeta," Pi commented. "Gohan knows exactly what he's doing."

"Oh, and what's that?" The prince asked, one eyebrow cocked.

Pi smirked. "Making him over-confident and sloppy."

_-There are many of those who oppose us-_

With a massive explosion of power, a twenty-foot wall of water erupted out of the pink river, Dabura landing on the bank behind it, Gohan floating in the air in front of it. In truth, Gohan _did_ know exactly what he was doing, and exactly what he _wasn't_ doing. Puipui had stated that any energy they lost in the Stage rooms would be fed directly to Majin Buu, and logically the same applied when the room was changed.

_-Who oppose us-_

Gohan knew that Super Saiyan 2 bled ki, which would be fed to Buu, so he had to beat Dabura in the base Super Saiyan. He also knew that using too many ki attacks would also speed up Majin Buu's release, so he wasn't going to risk using too many; his earlier barrage against Dabura proved less effective than he would have hoped, so he wasn't going to try that again. The most frustrating part was that he didn't know how much energy they already had from what they'd drained from Kaen; if he had known the gauge was only at about one third, he would have powered up to the max and erased every molecule of Dabura at the start.

_-Who oppose us!-_

When the wall of water fell, Gohan smirked. "Not bad."

Dabura smirked back, chuckling deeply and turning away from him, beckoning him closer with his hand. "Come on. If you dare."

Gohan knew it was a trap, but, as Pi had said earlier, the best way to survive a trap is to know it's there and deliberately spring it. Reigniting his aura, he growled, "All right," and sped forward. Just as he expected, when he was close Dabura spun around and spat at him, but Gohan was prepared. Raising his right arm, he blocked the spit using his wristband, and without even slowing down tore it off and flung it at Dabura.

_-All of this could always be the way that you would want it to-_

It was only the pure shock that the 'lowly mortal' didn't even slow down that saved the Demon King from being struck by the petrifying circle of cloth, as he jumped back a foot, and the wrist band landed on the earth where he'd been standing, shattering on impact. That didn't stop Dabura being struck in the face however, and once more the Demon King was sent flying.

After a few more moments of fighting, Dabura sneered, "I feel your power decreasing. It's only a matter of time before you make a mistake."

"What if _you_ make one first?" Gohan countered.

Dabura just laughed. "I wouldn't count on it."

_-Come on sell your soul, it's what you want to do-_

"Gohan's taking a lot longer to defeat this Dabura guy than I would have expected," Goku commented worriedly.

"He's tough, but he's not unbeatable," Vegeta spat, "Gohan's wasting time."

"Oh let him have his fun Veggie," Kaen commented disinterestedly, "I mean, when's the last time Gohan fought someone he could go all out on that he didn't have to worry about accidentally killing?"

Vegeta just growled. "I could beat Dabura."

_-This could be the only way-_

Dabura turned his head to look at Vegeta, his massive ears picking up on the conversation behind him. However, he quickly faced forward again when he heard Gohan shout, "Mistake number one!" The Super Saiyan teen clocked him across the face, sending the Demon King sailing backwards.

Dabura growled to himself, holding his left hand out and shouting, "Sword!" I wickedly curved blade appeared in his hand, and he leapt towards his opponent, shouting, "Taste my blade!" He was understandably shocked, however, when a single finger on Gohan's left hand stopped his sword cold.

_-Forget the fucking judgment day-_

"What! Impossible!" Babidi shrieked in panic, quickly checking Buu's gauge; whereas before it was at the one-third mark, now it was slightly past. "Dabura's losing, and he's hardly done any damage at all!"

_-Ignorant is bliss, so raise your fist and say-_

While Dabura was still reeling in shock, Gohan pushed forward with his finger, sending the blade back a bit, before chopping it with both hands, one higher than the other. The result was two clean cuts through the metal, the sword falling into three pieces: the point, the middle, and the haft, which Dabura still held.

_-Hate!-_

"I can't take this any more! This is ridiculous!" Vegeta barked. "Why are we subjecting ourselves to this? Look, call him down Kakarott, I'll finish this."

"What are you talking about Vegeta? He's winning." Goku replied confusedly.

"Dabura's toying with him, you know that; come on!" Vegeta shouted back.

_-You want it-_

"Actually, Gohan's toying with Dabura," Pi countered.

"What difference does it make? Either way my time is being wasted!" Vegeta growled, "Why should I sit around all day acting like this matters? I could end this in five minutes if I wanted to! I'm not here to play _games_ Kakarott, or to create nice _father-son_ memories; I'm here to win! Stop pretending! Knock off the sentimental rubbish! The strongest one is the one who should do the job, and Gohan has clearly proven he doesn't have what it takes; I'm the one who should be fighting, not him!"

_-Say hate!-_

Dabura grinned to himself, having heard the argument clearly. Relaxing out of his fighting stance, he reached out with his mind. _"Master, please bring us back to the ship immediately. I have made an important discovery."_

_"A discovery Dabura?"_ Was Babidi's sceptical reply.

_"Yes, it's vital to our plans."_ Dabura answered confidently. _"I think you'll agree."_

Surprised by this, Babidi conceded, _"Very well then, but it better be a good one to interrupt a fight."_

_-You need it-_

With his master's agreement to bring him back received, Dabura began flying away from Gohan, and towards where the door would reappear once the room returned to normal, based on where the circle in the centre was. Chasing after him, Gohan shouted, "Don't run! You're just gonna die tired!" Just as Dabura landed, the room faded back to normal, and Dabura stepped through the door, which closed up behind him; only swift control on Gohan's part prevented him from putting his fist through the door.

"What? What are we doing here?" Vegeta shouted.

"I dunno," Goku replied cluelessly, "I guess they wanted us back on the ship for some reason."

"But why?" Shin wondered out loud.

"Where are you going?" Gohan shouted through the door, "Are you giving up?"

"Oh no, it's just a brief intermission," Dabura's voice echoed back through the thick steel; the intercom helped. "We just need a few minutes to rework our strategy. It seems we've found a new recruit; the perfect warrior, capable of handling _all_ of you, so just take a little rest while we bring him up to speed." His echoing laughter filled the room for several minutes, before fading out.

'What are they up to?' The Supreme Kai asked himself, 'They don't have any warriors stronger than Dabura.'

_-Say hate!-_

"Welcome back," Babidi commented dryly as Dabura reappeared on the bottom level. "What's this that you were saying? Did you really make a discovery? Hmm?"

Dabura chuckled, replying with a simple, "Yes."

Babidi turned his back, commenting sternly, "Good. I was beginning to think you'd lost your nerve and were looking for an excuse to run away, but I guess I was wrong wasn't I?"

"The Demon King fears no mortal!" Dabura bellowed, before conceding, "Although I will admit they were stronger than I thought."

"Well I'm glad to hear it." Babidi stated. "Now, about this discovery of yours, why don't you fill me in, please?"

_-You want it-_

Babidi may have said please, but it was still a direct order, so Dabura replied directly. "I saw that one of the mortals has a terrible rage burning in his heart. He lacks the conviction of the others. He could be made to serve our purposes."

A massive cheerful grin broke out across Babidi's face. "You're kidding me? Now I know what you're thinking; we can revive Buu and defeat them all without even lifting a finger! Brilliant Dabura!"

When Babidi broke into laughter, Dabura added, "I'm here to please you my master."

"You _are_ priceless!" Babidi commented, before chanting cheerfully, "Here comes the Buu!" After a few cycles of this, and a lot of cackling, he calmed down enough to turn his attention to his crystal ball, commenting, "Well, let's take a look at him shall we?"

_-Come on, come on, come on, come on-_

"Well, what now?" Gohan asked semi-rhetorically.

"I don't know," Shin replied seriously, "I don't understand what's going on. Dabura is Babidi's greatest fighter; it doesn't make sense that he would withdraw from the fight. They don't have anyone after him; he's their best!"

_-Get it, get it-_

"He mentioned a new recruit," Goku pointed out, "Do you think he was bluffing?"

The Supreme Kai thought it over for a moment, before replying, "I'm not sure, but it seems unlikely that a fighter of that calibre would drop into their laps at a time like this."

Dropping out of Super Saiyan, Gohan stated, "Yeah, they're definitely up to something, but what?"

_-Hate!-_

"Argh, this whole thing would be over with if it wasn't for you!" Vegeta barked. When they turned to face him, he continued, "I hope you're proud of yourself. You have Saiyan blood running through your veins; a warrior like Dabura should be dead!" To accentuate his point, he shoved Gohan back a step. "And now you're sitting here scratching your head, wondering what's next when it should _already_ be finished!"

Scowling, he sneered, "You are pitiful, fighting with that soft righteous look on your face. It's brute strength that determines the outcome of a battle, not goodness; the mighty survive and the weak perish! Your Piccolo and Krillin were turned to stone; that's because they're weaklings. Is that the kind of fate you want for yourself?" He growled in frustration. "Garden statues! If they're lucky someone will make a _birdbath_ out of them!"

_-You want it-_

Gohan growled back, "I don't need to stand here taking lessons from you! If I had fought with pure brute strength as you say, had jumped to Super Saiyan Two and eliminated Dabura with a massive ki beam, I would have bled so much energy that Majin Buu could have been revived. I fought conservatively because any other way would equal a victory for them!"

"Hey, break it up you two!" Goku interjected, "Look, if Gohan had've known Dabura was going to run off he no doubt would have finished him off sooner."

_-Say hate!-_

"Oh yes, now _there's_ a pleasant excuse," Vegeta snorted sarcastically, pointing his finger accusingly before adding, "You're as soft as he is Kakarott. And I'm tired of playing around! I'm going to put an end to this thing once and for all!" Pointing his hand towards the ground, fingers splayed, Vegeta began powering up a blast, cutting Goku off and declaring, "No more weak-hearted excuses Kakarott; _I'm_ taking control of this operation now, and for starters I'm going to blow this ship to Kingdom Come!"

"Wait! That might do us more harm than good!" Goku protested.

_-You need it-_

"Goku's right," Shin agreed, "If you blow up the ship now you'll most certainly revive Buu." When his words failed to sway the irate prince, he continued, "Vegeta, please. You don't know Buu; his power if horrible, he's pure evil. Not even the Kai's combined could stop him; he's murdered millions of innocent people!"

"Shut up!" Vegeta shouted.

"Don't be a fool!" The Supreme Kai argued, "If Buu's revived this planet's finished! History! All living things will be exterminated! He'll turn the Earth into a dark, lifeless tomb!"

_-Say hate!-_

"Enough!" The Saiyan Prince shouted, aiming his blast at Shin's face. "Now you listen to me! What happens to this planet is _none_ of my concern! The strongest shall find a way to survive and the weaklings shall perish!"

"What kind of person are you?" Shin stammered fearfully.

_-You want it-_

Scowling, Goku phased in between the two of them, grabbing Vegeta's arm and forcibly cutting the flow to the beam before declaring, "Hey, cut it out; this has gone far enough!"

"How dare you!" Vegeta growled. "You better let go of me Kakarott."

Goku didn't waver. "Come on, let's put what's happened behind us and move forward from here."

Snatching his arm away, Vegeta turned his back on them, folding his arms and scowling. "All right, whatever _you_ say, _Kakarott_."

_-Come on, come on, come on, come on-_

Babidi cackled gleefully, "Yes, yes yes yes, I love it! I love it! This is too good to be true!"

"I take it that you are pleased master?" Dabura asked rhetorically.

_-Get it, get it, go!-_

"Oh ho yes, immensely so," Babidi replied, "What a great discovery you have made Dabura. This one is nothing like the others. Yes, you hit the nail right on the head. What a beautiful, _arrogant_, _selfish_ piece of work! Oh my, look how uptight he is."

As Babidi broke into another round of laughter the Demon King commented, "Yes, he is a rare find indeed. Can you _imagine_ the energy he'll create when he turns on the others? Resurrecting Buu will be all so easy."

_-Get it, get it, go!-_

Still chuckling, Babidi held his hands out to the crystal ball, commenting, "All right, what are we waiting for." As he began to focus his magic through the ball, he stopped suddenly, exclaiming, "Wait a minute! There's something odd about this other one." The image shifted, displaying the seated warrior with hair similar to Vegeta. "I can't explain it, but I can feel the taint of magic on his soul, as if he's already been controlled before by another wizard."

"What?" Dabura asked, "How is that possible?"

"I don't know Dabura," he replied, "However, that's not what's important. The important thing is that he too can be controlled; like the other's arrogance, this stain gives me an access point." He grinned. "Looks like I get two for one; let's do it!"

_-Get it, get it, go!-_

"Now what I wanna know is why they withdrew from the fight," Goku stated, his voice in business-mode.

"Yes, it doesn't make sense does it," Shin replied, feeling a lot better now that Vegeta wasn't being such an ass. "It was the perfect opportunity. They could've gathered more energy. Maybe Dabura _wasn't_ bluffing; maybe they _did_ find a new recruit."

_-Come on, come on, come on, come on-_

"It's definitely a possibility," Goku agreed, "But I don't see how. Happening upon someone that can beat us all? What are the chances of doing that? Slim to none I'd say."

Shin mulled it over in his head. 'Perhaps the perfect warrior that Dabura was speaking of was right here among us.' His gaze drifted from Goku, to Gohan, to the still-seated couple, and finally to Vegeta's back. A horrified look covered his face as he realised who they were talking about, far too late. "Oh no! Don't tell me... it's Vegeta!"

_"Papara papa!"_

_-Get it, get it, go!-_

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

You know, I must admit I was surprised at the number of people who didn't understand how Kaen and Pi had so much knowledge about Babidi and the Majin, considering the fact that, in one chapter of _When World's Collide_, the word 'Babidi' appeared **11** times, and the word Majin **3** times. That's right folks, in chapter 21 (23 if you go by this site's chapter numbers) of _When World's Collide_, the alternate world featured Majin Kaen and Majin Pi. In short, they had knowledge of the Majin because, at one point in time, they _were_ one.

I have come to realise that my readers - or at least those few of them who review - don't find the same things I do funny. I mean, the DBZ soundbyte remixes on YouTube (mentioned in last chapter's notes) cause me to practically piss myself laughing, yet not a person commented on them. Oh well, to each his/her own.

Next time, Book One draws to a close.


	20. C20: Voices

--- Disturbance, Book 1: Convergence ---

Chapter C20

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-So, are you breathing?-_

"It's Vegeta!"

_"Papara papa!"_

_-So, are you breathing?-_

Vegeta let out a roar of pain, grasping his head with both hands and lurching forwards; that the Supreme Kai expected, given his sudden realisation. What he didn't expect was to hear a similar cry wrenched from the mouth of the younger-but-older Saiyan standing behind him.

_-No, no!-_

Gohan glanced between the two of them worriedly, asking, "Kaen, Vegeta, what's wrong?"

Another roar of pain from the Saiyan Prince answered him, and by the looks of things it took all of Kaen's control to grit his teeth and keep from doing the same. "What's going on?" Goku demanded.

_-Are you breathing?-_

"Something's... attacking me," Vegeta replied, staggering around in pain. "Inside... my head."

_-So, are you breathing?-_

"Fight it Vegeta!" Shin exclaimed fearfully, "Resist!"

_"Yes, fight for the people who betrayed you, and who always will,"_ Babidi's voice echoed in Vegeta's mind.

_-No!-_

"I can't!" Vegeta howled.

"You must!" Shin shouted back.

_-Wake up, are you alive?-_

"Oh my Dabura! I know why we were caught so unaware of these guys," Babidi exclaimed, "They're not Earthlings at all; they just live on this planet."

_-Will you listen to me?-_

"What? What race are they then?" Dabura asked.

"Saiyans," was the wizard's reply, having pulled the information from the minds of his would-be captives.

_-I'm gonna talk about some freaky shit now-_

Dabura nodded. "That explains it then. Saiyans are, or at least were, one of the strongest races in the universe, and they got stronger with every fight. It's no wonder these five managed to attain such power while we were not looking."

Babidi's smile could have recharged Buu all on it's own. "And now they belong to me!"

_-Someone is gonna die-_

Vegeta stumbled forward, with Shin and Gohan rushing to his side should he need support. "Get out of my mind!"

_-When you listen to me-_

_"What do you want Vegeta? Weakness? Or do you want to be strong, the pride of the Saiyan race once more, a beacon for the rest of your kind?"_ the whisper of Babidi tormented.

Falling to one knee, Kaen growled out, "Not again... You'll not take me again you bastard wizard!"

_-Let the living die, let the living die, say-_

"What?" Shin exclaimed, spinning to face Kaen's semi-fallen form. Suddenly it all made sense. 'Of course; they know so much about Babidi because they were controlled by him once!'

_-Wake up, are you alive?-_

Before he could act Vegeta flared instinctively into Super Saiyan, screaming, "GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY MIND!" The massive burst of energy he released caught everyone off guard, sending everyone but Kaen flying to the walls of the room.

_-Will you listen to me?-_

Struggling back to his feet, Goku demanded, "What's going on?"

"It's Babidi," the purple being replied, likewise forcing himself upright.

_-I'm gonna talk about some freaky shit now-_

"What's he trying to do? Kill him?" Gohan asked.

"Worse." The Supreme Kai stated grimly. "Dabura spoke of a fighter that could defeat us all; Vegeta is that fighter!"

_-Someone is gonna die-_

"But then what about Kaen?" Gohan added.

_-When you listen to me-_

A grimace came to Shin's face. "I can only guess that he was under Babidi's control once before." Another burst of energy washed over them as Kaen started powering up, trying to fight Babidi's magics. With everyone in their base form, the Supreme Kai was currently the strongest one in the room, and even he had trouble staying upright.

_-Let the living die, let the living die, say-_

Pi, however, seemed to have no such trouble, forcefully charging forward towards her mate, despite the arcs of ki dancing around the room. Whenever one of Vegeta's strayed too close to her, one of Kaen's intercepted it; despite everything, even instinctively Kaen's energy would not allow Pi to come to harm. Wrapping her arms around him from behind, she whispered into his ear, "Come on Kaen, you can do it. I'm here. We'll fight him together."

_-Are you breathing, no?-_

_"Do you feel that?"_ Babidi's displaced voice whispered in Kaen and Vegeta's minds. _"Do you feel all that power lying dormant underneath? I can bring that out you know, as much as you want, all of it if you so desire."_

_-Do the wicked see you?-_

The shrivelled alien was very surprised to hear a very female voice answer him back. _"Shut up Babidi! They don't need you; Saiyans get power on their own!"_

_"Who the hell are you?"_ the wizard asked.

_-You still breathing?-_

Somehow, he could _feel_ her grinning at him. _"I'm a better hacker than you, that's who."_ Suddenly, he found his connection with Kaen's mind almost completely severed. Gritting his teeth, Babidi began searching for more ways in, but every time he reached one, she beat him there and cut him off.

_-You're making me known-_

Pi allowed a smile to come to her face. In essence, Babidi was trying to hack into Kaen's mind, like a computer, so all she had to do to help him was to 'counter-hack', to shut off all the access points Babidi could use to gain entrance; in this case, all of the evils in Kaen's heart and mind.

_-Are you breathing, no?-_

Frowning, Babidi set part of his mind into finding a way the girl missed, as he increased his efforts to break down Vegeta's defences.

_-Do the wicked see you?-_

Seeing that Kaen's screams had calmed to pants of effort, Shin turned to Vegeta, exclaiming, "Fight it! You're not that way any more; Babidi has no claim over you!"

Watching the golden-haired Vegeta staggering around in pain, Gohan asked, "Isn't there any way we can help him?"

_-You still breathing?-_

"He struggles because his heart is impure," Shin explained, as Vegeta slumped down onto his knees. "He has to choose himself!" Summoning up his courage, the Supreme Kai walked up to the fallen prince, stating, "Don't let him take you Vegeta. Let go; the past is the past. Don't think of it, be innocent and clear."

_-What's up? I wonder why-_

"I'm not innocent," Vegeta growled out, "I just want this fucking wizard OUT OF MY HEAD!" With his roar came another wave of power, and Shin was caught off guard by it, sent skidding back a few feet.

_-Do you listen to me?-_

"I'm afraid it's too late," Babidi commented, more to himself than anything. "Yes, you belong to us now!"

"He can only resist for so long," Dabura agreed. "Mortal or immortal, the thirst for evil always wins."

_-I'm gonna make you do some freaky shit now-_

Babidi chuckled, focusing his power through his crystal ball. "Now, allow me to restore your power to the way it was before you began trying to resist your dark nature."

_-Insane, you're gonna die-_

With another, louder roar of pain, red lightning began arcing off Vegeta's form as he began to float upwards, this second aura forcing Goku, Gohan and Shin to take a few steps back for safety. Pi just pressed herself harder against Kaen's back, the bolts of crimson lightning bouncing off Kaen's aura as he continued to fight off the encroaching darkness that was Babidi's magics, albeit now with a lot more success.

_-When you listen to me-_

"Don't let them do it Vegeta!" Gohan shouted, "Don't let them use you! You're stronger than th-" Before he could even finish his statement he was struck by the crimson lightning, three times in quick succession, and sent sliding back to the walls of the room.

_-Let the living die, let the living die, say-_

"Gohan!" Goku shouted in fear.

"I'm fine," the teen cut him off.

_-What's up? I wonder why-_

"Hmm, what's this?" Babidi mused to himself, his 'task' to delve further into Kaen's mind finding something.

_-Do you listen to me?-_

"What is it master?" Dabura questioned.

_-I'm gonna make you do some freaky shit now-_

Babidi grinned widely. "It would seem the girl missed something."

_-Insane, you're gonna die-_

As Gohan climbed back to his feet Kaen's screams of pain increased again, a small black aura spreading over him, the Saiyan pyromancer shouting, "Get outta my head!"

_-When you listen to me-_

"Kaen?" Pi asked worriedly; how had Babidi gotten in? 'What did I miss?" She thought to herself frantically; if she could find it, she could block it off, but nothing came to mind. 'Fuck! Kaen must have kept something from me!'

_-Let the living die, let the living die, say-_

Kaen ignored her, growling, "Stop, I don't want to remember that!"

She forced him to look at her. "Kaen, talk to me!"

_-Are you breathing, no?-_

_"She doesn't love you, you know,"_ Babidi taunted, his magics feeding off the memories he was digging up. _"You're just an amusing plaything for her, to keep around until she finds something better."_

Before even Pi could rebut the statement Kaen let out a pain-filled laugh. "You're gonna have to better than that wizard!"

_-Do the wicked see you?-_

_"Fine."_ Focusing hard, Babidi dug deeper, the black aura increasing in size as he wrenched another anguished cry from the Saiyan's lips, the fear of the situation forcing Kaen's power up another notch; this time, the shockwave sent Pi flying away from him.

_-You still breathing?-_

Skidding to a halt, Pi found she could no longer force herself forward; Kaen and Vegeta's energy's had merged to form an impenetrable barrier. "Kaen, fight it!" She shouted, "Whatever he's doing to you, fight!"

_-You're making me known-_

"Get out of my mind!" Kaen shouted to the yellow wizard, before adding painfully in what was the best description he could give at the time, "He's raping my mind!"

_-Are you breathing, no?-_

"Why this is just perfect!" Babidi cackled. "All that evil hiding beneath the surface. Why, I'd almost say he was more evil than you Dabura."

"Impossible," Dabura spat. "No mere mortal could be more evil than the Demon King!"

_-Do the wicked see you?-_

"That may be true Dabura," Babidi hummed, "But he _does_ have two hundred and forty years worth of evil deeds, spanning every sin imaginable." Satisfied at the rate of Kaen's descent, he re-focused on Vegeta.

_-You still breathing?-_

As the power being put out by the two near-possessed fighters increased, the room began shaking violently; in fact, the entire ship was shaking. Outside the ship, large rocks, some the size of small cards, began digging themselves out of the ground, floating a good foot or two off the dirt. Large faults began erupting in the valley, and gale force winds began kicking up sandstorms, all originating from the ship itself.

"What a monstrous power," Goku commented. "It's terrible! I can't even approach it!"

_-Can you imagine how good going through this will make you feel?-_

_"Why do you fight me Vegeta?"_ The wizard asked the screaming Super Saiyan. _"Do you want to remain in Kakarott's shadow forever?"_

Vegeta's screams increased, as he began shaking his head violently to either side, the red lightning increasing in volume and magnitude. "No, I don't want that!"

_-I promise, no one will ever know-_

"That's it Vegeta! Fight it!" Shin shouted.

_"Why do you fight me Kaen?"_ He asked the second fighter. _"Do you want to remain shackled here for eternity, forced to live a life of boredom and routine when you could be free to explore the galaxy?"_

Kaen grit his teeth hard, growls of pain escaping him, as the dark aura grew in depth, his form seeming to flicker like a badly tuned TV. With a strange echoing quality to his voice, he forced out, "I. Will. Be. FREE!"

_-There will be no chance of you getting caught-_

"Come on Kaen! Come back to me!" Pi cried out.

With a final shout from both of them, the wall of energy faded, Vegeta's aura burning out as he fell to the floor, landing on his knees and slumping forward, his face hidden, growls and sobs of pain forcing their way past his lips. Kaen too slumped forward, the dark shadow still enveloping him as he panted harshly, his form flickering to either side like it couldn't decide where, within a couple of inches of his central mass, it actually was.

_-They never loved you anyway-_

As the group started to advance towards them, Shin stated, "Don't touch them! It might already be too late."

"Kaen?" Pi asked tentatively; the bond she shared with her mate felt... weird, and she couldn't explain how.

"Don't worry Vegeta," Goku said calmly, "We'll get you the help you need."

_-So come on, be a man-_

It wasn't long before Kaen's pants and Vegeta's sobs turned into laughter. "I'm sorry, Kaen isn't taking any calls right now, but you can leave a message with me," the shadowy Saiyan replied almost jovially.

"And who are you?" Pi demanded grimly.

_-And do what you are compelled to do-_

She took a step back as his glare fixed itself upon her, the 'M' of the Majin branded upon his forehead. He seemed to take a moment to consider the dark aura around him before he replied. "Me? I'm Dark Phoenix." (1)

Laughing almost psychotically at a joke only he knew, Vegeta sat upright, his eyes ringed by dark circles, and veins bulging out on his shoulders and forehead, upon which, like Kaen, rested the symbol of the Majin. The last of the Vegeta line had fallen from grace.

_-Save me God!-_

"Oh my, this is wonderful!" Babidi cackled excitedly, dancing from side to side in glee. "Just think of all the energy those two will gather when they destroy their friends! This is the best present I've ever had; we may yet revive Majin Buu before the end of the day!"

_-I can hear the voice-_

Dabura bowed. "I aim to please."

Babidi rubbed his hands together eagerly. "Now, they need a more interesting place to fight..."

_-But I don't want to listen-_

Dabura grinned. "How about the tournament arena?" He knew enough about humans to know there would still be a great many people there, despite the tournament's completion; humans were, after all, remarkably slow about leaving places in groups.

Babidi burst into laughter again. "You're on a roll today Dabura! That's perfect!" Focusing his magic, he screamed, "Papara papa!"

_-Strap me down and tell me I'll be alright-_

The scenery shifted around them again, the room fading to blue before a myriad of colours flashed by, but the two new Majin warriors noticed none of this. Kaen, now calling himself Dark Phoenix, only had eyes for Pi, whereas Vegeta stared down his life-long rival Goku. When the room 'froze' back to normal, the Z-Fighters noticed a very familiar mauled 50x50 concrete mat beneath them.

_-I can feel the subliminal need-_

"What the? He sent us back to the stadium," Gohan commented, looking around and noticing their family and friends still seated up in the stands; Videl and Kat were with them, but for some reason, Goten, Trunks and the twins were not.

_-To be one with the voice-_

"They're back," Yamcha commented amazedly, "How'd they do that?"

"Instant Transmission maybe?" Bulma suggested.

Yamcha shook his head. "No, they're gotta be touching Goku for that."

_-And make everything alright-_

"Well I'm just glad they're back okay," Chichi commented.

"I wouldn't celebrate just yet Chi," April commented gravely.

_-I can hear the voice-_

Her face neutral, Raene added, "From what I can see, Kaen and Vegeta are _far_ from okay..."

A worried frown slipped past Bulma's defences; her link with Vegeta felt... dark. "Vegeta..."

_-But I don't want to listen-_

"Excuse me gentlemen, but the tournament's over. We were just finishing up the closing ceremony," the announcer declared nervously.

Vegeta smirked. "We're just here for a little _exhibition_ match." Tuning out the man's ramblings, he turned back to his rival.

_-Strap me down and tell me I'll be alright-_

_"That's it! Now kill them! Kill all of them!"_ Babidi's voice echoed in the two Majin Saiyans' minds.

Vegeta flinched. "No. Kakarott is my only concern! The others are nothing!"

_-I can feel the subliminal need-_

Dark Phoenix, on the other hand, just scowled. "Shut up you worm!" The 'M' on his forehead glowed red for a second, before switching to blue, then back to black, as he erected his mental defences again, and severed his link with Babidi almost completely.

_-To be one with the voice-_

"What? How can they do that?" Babidi asked himself in shock. "Even after all that, Vegeta's not completely under my control, and Kaen cut me off completely!"

"It's no matter Master," Dabura commented, "They'll come around eventually. No mortal can resist forever."

_-And make everything alright-_

Vegeta turned side-on to Goku, pointing his finger at him and barking, "It's time Kakarott." When Goku didn't reply, a smirk slipped onto Vegeta's face as he flattened his hand, palm facing his chosen opponent. Charging ki into his hand, Vegeta fired off a golden energy blast at point blank range, Goku being forced to cross his arms to block it. As Vegeta fed more and more energy into the attack, Goku was forced backwards towards the edge of the ring directly opposite the fighter's lounge.

_-Are you breathing, no?-_

Phoenix ignored the goings on to his right, pointing at Pi and stating, "You and I have unfinished business." Like Vegeta before him, he began charging a blast, Phoenix's being of black flame, and firing it off at Pi. Like Goku, Pi threw her arms up to defend, but as she was being pushed back, her foot caught on a dislodged piece if tiling, and she was sent sprawling backwards underneath the blast at the same time Goku was forced to dive out of the way of Vegeta's, lest he be consumed.

_-Do the wicked see you?-_

The Z-Fighters shouted in horror as the blasts tore towards the stands, screaming warnings they knew were too late to do much good. Phoenix's blast exploded upon contact with the stands, instantly consuming hundreds of lives. Vegeta's, however, bored straight through the stands, causing a lesser explosion before continuing on into South Capitol, where it exploded with a massive mushroom cloud easily visible from the stadium, despite being on completely separate islands.

_-You still breathing?-_

The Saiyan family forced their faces into neutral masks; they'd only just managed to get everyone out of the way of Vegeta's blast before it had consumed the stand they'd been sitting on. "What the hell is going on?" Raene asked rhetorically, holding on to the fainted form of Bulma.

_-You're making me known-_

"I don't know," Kellre replied gravely. "What we feared doesn't compare to what we face now."

"I'm just glad the kids are gone now," April remarked, "Because I wouldn't want them to see this."

_-Are you breathing, no?-_

As they returned to the centre of the ring, both Goku and Pi seemingly had the exact same thought, stating as one, "How could you? The Vegeta/Kaen I know would never have done this!"

_-Do the wicked see you?-_

Phoenix seemed to answer for the pair of them. "Maybe not, but the one you _knew_ **would** have." Growling in anger, Pi lunged to attack her fallen mate, but Phoenix just laughed, taking to the sky as his hands started glowing with black fire. Launching out streams of energy, he shouted, "Dance woman, dance!" as he forced her to dive out of the way of the attacks, carving up what was left of the arena floor; by luck, more than anything, none of the other fighters were forced to move to avoid being hit.

_-You still breathing?-_

Smirking down at Pi, Phoenix launched himself higher into the sky, taunting, "You want me?" His form shifted, erupting in black flames, before reshaping itself into that of a giant bird of fire. "Well come and get me!" He shouted, blasting out of the arena at high speeds. With a growl, Pi took off after him, never noticing that, as he attempted to blast her, he has carved the symbol for Phoenix into the arena floor.

_-So, are you breathing?-_

"How about it Kakarott? Shall we commence?" Vegeta asked coldly, ignoring the two feuding Saiyans.

"This isn't the time Vegeta," Goku replied.

Vegeta smirked. "You'll fight with me Kakarott. Unless of course you'd like more bodies to pile up on your conscience."

_-So, do you breathe? No, no-_

Eyes widening in shock, Goku asked, "Vegeta, certainly you didn't?" When Vegeta just laughed, he commented, "How sad. I didn't think you were _weak_ enough to be controlled." Vegeta still didn't reply. "Answer me! Vegeta! Do you let yourself be a slave?"

_-So, are you breathing?-_

Vegeta just calmly raised his hand again, pointing it at the only stand not destroyed so far, before firing another energy blast, wiping it out. As the smoke from the explosion washed over him, his stared back at Goku with a sadistic smile, replying, "Is it _slavery_ when you get what you want?" Goku just clenched his fists in anger, glaring at Vegeta with all the hatred it was possible for the happy-go-lucky fighter to feel. Vegeta smirked in satisfaction; he would fight Kakarott, and he didn't care how many people he had to kill to do it.

_-So, do you breathe? No!-_

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

(1) - It was this character that was the inspiration for my sig. Yes, I have had this idea in mind since before I started posting When World's Collide.

Well here it is - or rather, there it was - the final chapter of Book 1. Next week Book 2: Divergence begins, and I'll rename the story and adjust the summary to suit.


	21. D01: Welcome To the Jungle

--- Disturbance, Book 2: Divergence ---

Chapter D01 - Welcome To The Jungle

Disclaimer: Yeah, like I own Dragonball Z. If I did, would I be posting stories where anyone can read them for free? Yeah, didn't think so. I do, however, own any and all original characters; well, my friend and me do, at least. I also don't own any and all songs, movie and/or books mentioned or hinted at throughout this series. That cover everything?

Other Disclaimer: The events described within this series are entirely fictional. Any and all similarities between these and actual events are purely coincidental. If you believe something within this story infringes on events that transpired in your life, we advise you to seek psychiatric help, as you are probably insane.

Additional Note: This chapter marks the start of Book 2 of Disturbance. For a full explanation, see my notes at the bottom.

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_-Welcome to the jungle / We've got fun 'n' games-_

In the panic that followed the explosion that decimated the North-most stand in the stadium, the fighters in the arena stood stock-still. The deceased powerhouse Goku glared death at his rival, but the possessed Vegeta just smirked back unphased. The relative silence was broken when Gohan jumped between the two, shouting, "Stop it! You don't know what you're doing!"

His face twisting into a snarl, Vegeta flung his arm, and a burst of ki, his way, shouting, "Stand aside!" The force of the ki-powered wind sent the Demi-Saiyan skidding out of the way. "This does not concern you! It's between me and your circus clown of a father!"

"Circus clown?" Goku commented, "Well, that's a new one." As Vegeta chuckled to himself, Goku flared into Super Saiyan, and the fallen prince straightened, a satisfied smirk on his face.

_-We got everything you want / Honey, we know the names-_

"No Goku, you mustn't!" Shin shouted, jumping between the two. "If you fight him here you will be doing exactly what Babidi wishes. Every injury that Vegeta causes will be sent back to the ship, and Buu will be revived!"

"Tell me Vegeta," Goku demanded, ignoring the Kai, "With that stamp on your head I know Babidi's been giving you orders; is this one of them? Are you trying to fight me because of him? Or is this the same old story between you and me; which one?"

"Does it really matter?" Shin asked.

_-We are the people that can find / Whatever you may need-_

"Not to you Kai but to a warrior it matters greatly," Vegeta replied, "And you know this as well as I do Kakarott. In a day you'll be back to the dead, and I will _not_ miss this opportunity!"

"Who _are_ you people?" Shin exclaimed. "Don't you see the _universe_ matters more than your meaningless squabble?"

Vegeta's face contorted into a scowl again, as he shouted, "Meaningless! What do you know of meaningless?" A corona of waves of golden light appeared around Vegeta's form, as he charged his power. His aura flared into life violently, kicking up a massive cloud of dust and almost obscuring Gohan and Shin completely. "Spend most of _YOUR_ life ruled by another, watch _YOUR_ race dwindle to a handful, and then, tell me what has _MORE_ meaning than your own strength!"

_-If you got the money, honey / We got your disease-_

The past ten years have clearly not helped Vegeta overcome the previous thirty years of believing his race was on the brink of extinction by Frieza's hand. "I have in me the blood of a Saiyan Prince; he is nothing but a joke! Yet I had to watch him surpass me in strength, my destiny thrown to the wayside! He's... He's even saved my life as though I were a helpless child. He has stolen my honour. And his debts, must be paid!"

Tilting his head up to look skyward, Goku shouted, "Babidi! Transport us to a place away from people. If you give me that, _then_ I will fight Vegeta."

_-In the jungle-_

"So be it!" Shin declared, standing between them again and raising his arms. "If you truly believe this is the right decision, then you will have to get around me to do it!" The deceased Saiyan and the Supreme Kai stared each other down in silence, before Shin broke the silence by saying, "Goku, I'm afraid I have _no_ choice."

"Neither do I," Goku replied coldly, raising his right hand to aim it at the stationary Kai. To the shock of all watching, Goku began charging a blast, seemingly fully prepared to blow the Kai's head off to get him out of the way.

_-Welcome to the jungle-_

"That's enough!" Gohan declared, barging the frightened Kai out of the way and taking his place. "This has gone far enough dad!"

His cold mask slipped a bit. "Gohan, as a Saiyan, you _know_ why I have to do this."

The teen nodded. "I do. And as a human, _you_ know why I have to do _this_."

_-Watch it bring you to your knees, knees-_

Goku's business face returned. "So be it." Without a sound, Goku fired the blast towards his own son, the explosion rocketing him backwards, Vegeta having to take a step to the side to avoid being hit, before the teen crashed into the fighter's lounge, the only direction not to have been already trashed.

Even Vegeta couldn't help but gape as the deceased Super Saiyan put his own son down, proving one cold hard fact; Son Goku _never_ bluffs. Before anyone could react there was a small explosion, as Gohan freed himself from the rubble. Dusting himself off, he commented calmly, "Very well then. I see your mind is made up."

_-I wanna watch you bleed-_

Babidi burst into hysterical laughter. "Ooh, see them go at each other's throats! Serves you right Kai!"

Dabura smirked, folding his arms. "Now it is a simple game of waiting, and Majin Buu with return."

Calming down, the wizard commented, "I'll move them. It's a small price to pay." Focusing his magic, he shouted, "Papara papa!"

_-Welcome to the jungle / We take it day by day-_

When the group in the centre of the ring disappeared as quickly as they had appeared in the first place, a tense silence descended over the large group of friends, broken only by the screams of the human masses as they fled what remained of the stadium. Finally, the silence was broken when Truniz turned to Kellre and asked, "So bro, what are you going to do with the money?" Obviously, he was talking about the eighty thousand zenni he'd won for correctly guessing who would walk away with the title.

Kellre shrugged. "Probably take Raene out for a night on the town."

_-If you want it you're gonna bleed / But it's the price you pay-_

Videl gaped at the two. "Ah, hello! Didn't you two just see Kaen and Vegeta?"

"Of course we did," Truniz replied. "It was a little hard not to notice, what with the destruction and the screaming and all."

Kellre nodded. "I would just prefer to spend some time alone with my mate."

_-And you're a very sexy girl / That's very hard to please-_

"Last meal huh?" Kat asked.

"Hardly," Kellre replied. "We'll go to dinner after this little issue has been resolved."

"So you're sure we'll win then?" The young catgirl added.

_-You can taste the bright lights / But you won't get them for free-_

He shrugged. "I haven't the slightest idea, but I will still take her out, either here or in Otherworld, whichever is more appropriate at the time."

Giving his two cents, Yamcha added, "But if we end up in Otherworld, you won't have the cash."

He grinned. "No, but I _will_ still have bragging rights."

_-In the jungle-_

At this point, Videl had heard enough. "Are you all insane?" She shouted, "You just saw your son," she pointed at Avarrdo, "and your husband," she pointed at Bulma, "just kill hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent people, and you're all standing around here like nothing's happened!"

"That was _not_ my son," Avarrdo commented tersely, "It may have been his body, but he was not controlling it."

_-Welcome to the jungle-_

Before Videl could comment further, April asked, "What would you have us do Videl? Run around screaming in panic? What good would that do us?"

"She is right though," the newly recovered Bulma added, "We _should_ be doing _something_."

Avarrdo turned to the other Saiyans as the Z-Fighters fell into discussion, commenting, "I'll head to the City, start preparations." As he took of, Truniz and Kellre joined the other Z-Fighters in their planning, whereas the three women shared a look before rounding Videl up and leading her away a little.

_-Feel my, my, my serpentine-_

"Now dear," Raene began, "You are _much_ too tense. Seeing as how Gohan has chosen you to be his mate, you'll probably find yourself in these situations more than you'd care to, and if you don't relax you're going to worry yourself into an early grave."

"And while we're on that subject," April added, "We think it's time we let you in on a few facts of life."

_-I, I wanna hear you scream-_

Videl blushed hard, trying to back-pedal away from the three women as she stammered, "Uh, I already know about 'the birds and the bees', thank you very much."

"Nonsense," Cherri admonished good-naturedly, a broad smile on her face. "What you know is merely the human side of things; with Saiyans, there are a few... extra things you need to know."

_-Welcome to the jungle / It gets worse here everyday-_

Before Videl could offer any more excuses Kat sauntered up behind her, throwing an arm playfully around the girl's shoulders before asking, "Hey, what're you guys talking about?"

"Mating," Raene replied simply.

Kat grinned, mostly at an extra chance to embarrass the hell out of Videl, before chirping, "Sweet. I may still be a virgin myself, but Pi's filled me in on everything, as well as told me a few too many stories, so I can help out too if you want."

_-Ya learn ta live like an animal / In the jungle where we play-_

Videl gaped at her in horror. "This is the sex life of your brother and parents you're talking about; doesn't that seem as disturbing to you as it does to me?"

"Not _my_ parents," Kat shrugged. When Videl just stared at her in confusion, she continued, "Haven't I explained this to you? Technically, it wasn't Avarrdo and April that adopted me; oh sure, they're nice and all, and treat me like their daughter for the most part, but it was Kaen who adopted me as his little sister, not them as their daughter. As such, I have no problems."

_-If you got a hunger for what you see / You'll take it eventually-_

"And the part about Kaen being your brother?" Videl asked, almost afraid of the answer.

Kat just blushed. "Let's just say that if Pi hadn't come back into his life, he wouldn't be my brother..." When Videl gaped at her in horror again she defended herself hotly, "Hey, I was thirteen when I first met him, and he was hot! He was my first kiss, so I had a crush on him for about four years before I met Pi, and my feelings changed into what they are now."

_-You can have anything you want / But you better not take it from me-_

The three older women intervened before Kat could traumatize the human girl any further; after all, they wanted some trauma for themselves. In that regard, they were successful. It wasn't the 'facts' they were telling her that drove her blush to atomic levels - after all, she knew the basics, and the internet provided the rest - but rather, the graphic detail into which their tales descended; she could almost see, hear and smell the sights, sounds, and scents involved from their words alone, which was _far_ too descriptive for her overstressed mind to handle. Thus, when she overheard, at the very edge of her hearing, Bulma and co talking about gathering the Dragon Balls, Videl spun to face them, shouting, "I can do it!"

_-In the jungle-_

"No need to trouble yourself," Kellre replied calmly, the slight grin on his face portraying he understood _exactly_ why she wanted to help, "My brother and I can fly much faster than you can. Besides," this time, the tiny grin became a full-fledged smirk, "You have much to learn, and I am never one to make such an _eager_ student stop."

"No! Really, I don't mind!" She insisted.

_-Welcome to the jungle-_

"Not at all young Videl, don't be silly." Turning to Bulma, and leaving Videl resigned to her fate, he added, "I merely need to fetch the Dragon Radar."

"Here you go," she replied, handing one over.

He cast a raised eyebrow her way. "You just happened to have one of these on you?"

She shrugged. "It'd be a poor mad scientist who didn't." (1)

_-Watch it bring you to your knees, knees-_

With barely a moment's notice, the four fighters were relocated to one of the many deserts on Earth, the wind-blown dust instantly swirling around Goku and Vegeta's respective auras. His lips twitching as he wavered between a smirk and a scowl, Vegeta asked, "I trust you'll have no more excuses?"

"None." Goku replied seriously.

Turning to the silent Gohan, Shin asked, "Aren't you going to stop them?"

Gohan just shook his head. "I have tested his resolve already, and he will not be swayed."

_-I wanna watch you bleed-_

Shin nodded. "Very well. We will just have to continue our efforts with a new strategy. While you two fight up here, Gohan and I will break open the ship's entrance and continue our assault against Babidi and Dabura." Walking over to the circle linked back to Babidi's ship, he continued, "I believe we still have a chance of stopping them before Buu's revival. If tampering with the ship's entrance ruptures Buu's shell it will _still_ be better than allowing him to reach full power from the energy lost by Goku." Smiling slightly, he added, raising one fist to strike the door in the floor, "After all the time I've spent tracking Majin Buu I will avert him with my own hands."

_"I don't think so!"_ Babidi's voice echoed in the prince's mind, _"Vegeta, destroy this nuisance! Kill the Supreme Kai! Kill him!"_

_-And when you're high you never-_

Groaning in pain as Babidi's words took hold of his body, Vegeta clutched his head in his hands, his pained roars drawing the attention of the other three. He fell to his knees for a moment, before forcing himself back up again, the 'M' on his forehead flashing a deep red, as he barked, "I refuse!" As Babidi and Dabura expressed their shock, he added, "Your business with the Kai, it means nothing to me. Kakarott is my only objective."

_"That's amusing Vegeta but I'm serious."_ Babidi demanded, _"By every fibre in your body I command you to destroy!"_

_-Ever want to come down-_

"N-no! Get out of my head!" Vegeta grunted painfully. "I already told you. I will not be distracted from this any more. I won't! It will take more than head games to stop me." Forcing himself upright, Vegeta stated forcefully, focusing his power, "You may have invaded my mind and my body, but there's one thing a Saiyan always keeps: HIS PRIDE!" With this exclamation, a massive golden pillar burst into life around the fallen prince, wild beams of loose energy flying around randomly. When the dust cleared, a satisfied, if tired, smirk was on Vegeta's face, as the mountains behind him crumbled to dust; Babidi's annoying voice had finally been silenced.

"I... I can't believe it," Shin breathed, "What kind of power allows a person to fight against and overcome their own enslaved body?"

"I guess I've been keeping you waiting a long time Vegeta, but no more," Goku stated.

_-So down-_

Without warning, the door began to open on it's own. "They're opening the ship for us," Gohan commented. "They mustn't want to risk Buu being released early."

"Careful Gohan," Shin warned, "We must be careful of traps."

"Take care Gohan," Goku commented, a slight smile on his face. "I don't have to tell you there's a lot riding on this, so do your best." Reaching into the pouch on his belt, he commented, "Here, we have a few Senzu beans left. I want you to take one; you'll need to be at full strength for whatever happens down there."

Gohan caught the bean, nodding once in thanks, before eating it. "Good luck Kakarott," he stated simply, "Just remember that when next we meet, I owe you a punch in the face." With no more words, Gohan leapt into the hole, Shin following soon after.

_-So down-_

As soon as Gohan disappeared from sight, Goku's face shifted from warm to all business again. "I'm ready now."

"That's good to hear," Vegeta mocked, before turning serious. "So Kakarott, the table has been set." Clenching his fists he shouted, "Now let us begin!"

"The more time you and I spend fighting, the more damage _I'll_ receive to fuel Majin Buu, so if it's alright with you, let's just skip the warm-up."

_-So down... YEAH!-_

Vegeta smirked. "By all means. I just hope that being dead this long hasn't made your body fragile." With a shout, Goku powered up, the arcs of blue lightning and the further straightening of his hair indicating he'd jumped to Super Saiyan Two. Vegeta grinned, "Well, at least you're stronger than your son was seven years ago." With a shout of his own, Vegeta's hair also stood further upright in his golden crown, similar arcs dancing around his aura.

Eyes widening a fraction in shock, Goku commented, "Wow Vegeta, this might take longer than I thought."

"You see?" Vegeta shrieked excitedly, "_This_ is our fate! Our battle!"

_-You know where you are?-_

Pi scowled to herself as she flew over the frozen wasteland that was the North-Eastern-most island on Earth; this was where Kaen came to train. He had been flying much faster than her, and if not for the fact he had travelled in a straight line, no doubt she would have lost him; well, she _had_ lost him, but that was neither here nor there. Casting her gaze around for somewhere he might be hiding, she spotted a large red brick tower, her sharp eyes noticing the hole in the side of it; easy entry inside.

Flying down to the tower, she lowered herself carefully through the hole, landing in the patch of light it cast inside; she wasn't too surprised to find much of the ground underneath the hole covered in snow. Looking around the room quickly, she noticed a series of pillars, some more solid than others, interspersed around the room, and a collection of mostly solid wooden benches between them; whatever this tower had been used for, this was obviously the waiting room.

_-You're in the jungle baby / You're gonna die!-_

Before she could ponder the issue any further, the doors at the other end of the room were kicked open, and a black-clad figure strode in, beckoning her forward with one hand and taunting, "Wanna play?" She glared at him; Kaen, she noticed, had changed into his 'Phoenix' armour, albeit modified so that it was completely black, instead of black with red highlights.

Still grinning at her, he relaxed again, commenting, "I guess that's a no." He continued walking forward until he was, at most, three metres away from her, close to the end of the snowfield she stood in. Still glaring at him, Pi dropped into her fighting stance, and he followed suit, jibbing, "This'll be fun."

_-In the jungle-_

Deciding it was past time she beat some sense into that head of his, Pi charged forward, lashing out with a right jab, but he calmly grabbed her wrist. Opening her left hand, she lashed out with a palm strike to his face, forcing him to release her, then drove him back with a series of punches to the general head region, before finishing the flurry with an elbow to the chest, forcing him to slide back a foot.

When he recovered from that, she lashed out with a spin kick to the face. Growling, he retaliated with a punch to her face, but she grabbed his hand; this proved to be a fruitless action, though, as he extended the first and last fingers on his hand and sent a burst of electric energy at her, sending her flying back into the snow. She spun in the air to land on her feet instead of her back, running her left hand along her chin as static danced down her right hand.

_-Welcome to the jungle-_

Clenching her fists again, she charged forward into a leg sweep, which he calmly vaulted over, but by the time he's turned around to face her she was upon him again with a left cross, sending him to the wall where he impacted harshly. He jumped back as she leapt forward, then continued his backwards motion as she then leapt off the wall to the nearby pillar, before leaping towards him once more and kicking him under the chin.

He landed on his hands and vaulted backwards, but she sped forward after him, jumping from her final step into a kick under the chin, followed by a downward heel drop, which was, in turn, followed by a flip kick. As the two landed back on their feet she charged forward, the two locking arms, before he pushed her back with another ki shock, kicking her stunned form in the chest and sending her skidding backwards.

Recovering quickly, she ducked under the punch he threw at her head, his fist burrowing into the wall. Knocking his arm away she leaped at him, pushing him backwards and jumping off him moments before he impacted the floor, driving his back into the ground. Before she could get far though his hand snaked out and caught her ankle, and he was on his feet in an instant, whirling her around the room, and through one of the nearby chairs twice, before pegging her at the far side of the room.

_-Watch it bring you to your knees, knees-_

She spun quickly before she hit, landing feet first on the wall, as the wind from her flight sent up a shower of ice and snow. The two glared at each other, and just as the snow fell back to the floor, clearing her view, she brought her feet together, vaulting off the wall at him, and ducking around his incoming fist as she grabbed his face, dragging him with her as she ran and grinding him against the floor before dropping into a commando roll and throwing him skyward.

Coming out of the roll facing the direction she'd come from, she skidded backwards, coming to rest less than a foot from the doorway, and quickly looking up at her airborne opponent. Leaping up after him, she grabbed him by the back of his armour and spun around rapidly, launching him down at high speeds, where he impacted one or two of the benches, and the ground beneath them, at high speeds.

_-In the jungle-_

Landing calmly several metres away, Pi began dusting herself off, before there was a small explosion behind her as Kaen dug himself out again. She grimaced; despite the beating she'd given him, he didn't look any worse for wear, and his energy hadn't dropped a bit! Smirking at her, he took a few steps towards her and flexed his hand, asking rhetorically, "Where were we?"

Before she could reply - assuming she was going to, of course - he kicked one of the benches at her, and she crossed her arm over her chest briefly before flinging it out to shatter the incoming wooden construct. This move, however, left her wide open for Phoenix's attack, as he darted forward at high speed, slamming his fist into her unprotected stomach, and firing a ki blast that sent her not only into, but through the wall behind, to come to rest on the packed snow outside the tower.

As she climbed back to her feet, the only real damage done to her pride, she watched the shadowy form of her mate walking towards her, a sadistic smirk on his face. She forced her face into a neutral mask; she _would_ get through to him one way or another, come hell or high water.

_-Welcome to the jungle-_

Gohan flew down the shaft face-first at fairly high speeds, Shin following behind him; he needed to reach Babidi and Dabura before Vegeta and his father started going all out. As he entered the room, noticing that it was exactly like the last three except green, he spotted the fairly large group of minions over near the door. They all looked pretty much the same, everything but the head resembling Puipui, and the heads of all of them resembling yellow frogs. Each one had a roman numeral on their chest, from one to ten.

The pair landed on the ground, staring at the fearful minions in dazed amusement, Shin commenting, "It would seem we have a welcoming committee." Turning serious, he addressed Gohan, "We don't have time to waste on small fish. Let's hurry!"

_-Feel my, my, my serpentine-_

Gohan grinned. "Right." The ten 'warriors', and Gohan used that term very loosely, all charged forward, forming a loose ring around them, and with a smirk, he clenched his fists, assuming the 'power-up' position, and causing the ten would-be fighters to piss themselves. A smirk on his own face, Shin turned away and shielded his eyes as a white aura burst into life around Gohan, moments before a sphere of white energy exploded away from him, sending the grunts flying.

As the light died down Shin turned back, noticing all ten warriors were down, before commenting with a smile, "Phew, I think that will do. Good work Gohan." As if to prove him right, the floor opened up. "He's practically _daring_ us to come," Shin observed, "It would be a terrible shame to disappoint him, wouldn't it? Come Gohan, let's put an end to this ordeal." With no more words, the two leapt down the hole.

_-In the jungle-_

The two gold-wreathed fighters stared each other down, before with a rising shout Vegeta charged forward, his aura burning out as he lashed out with a series of punches at Goku's head, all of which the younger fighter leaned away from, as the two slowly floated backwards. Finally, Vegeta broke rank by kneeing Goku in the stomach, wrapping him around his leg, before elbowing him in the back, moving his leg at the last second so he would rocket his opponent towards the ground rather than pin him.

_-Welcome to the jungle-_

Goku landed on his hands and knees, struggling to catch his breath, but he quickly dove out of the way as Vegeta dropped down, his leg shattering the rocky ground on impact as he practically buried himself from the force of his dive. With a roar, Vegeta took to the sky, levelling off with Goku, and the two stared each other down again. Reaching his leg back, he swung his knee at Goku, and Goku answered with a knee of his own, red lightning dancing around their forms as they struggled against each other.

"What's this?" Vegeta commented amusedly, "I thought you said we were _skipping_ the warm-up?"

Goku smirked back. "I guess I was wrong."

_-Watch it bring you to your knees, knees-_

With two pair of near-silent taps, Gohan and Shin landed in the dark room at the bottom of Babidi's ship. Directly ahead of them, to Shin's horror, was Majin Buu's ball, pulsing pink with each burst of energy it received. "This is it Gohan," Shin whispered, "_This_ is what we're here to find."

"And Majin Buu is inside?" Gohan asked.

Shin nodded. "Yes, we _must_ act quickly. I doubt Babidi and Dabura will leave it unguarded for long. If we combine our powers, we may still have a chance to destroy it."

Gohan nodded, musing to himself, 'It's terrible! I've never sensed anything like this, so cold and empty.'

_-Down in the jungle-_

"Welcome _friends_," a nasal voice drawled sarcastically from behind the pink boulder, followed shortly by Babidi walking out around the left side, and Dabura walking around the right. "I'm glad you could join us," Babidi continued, "Especially _you_, Supreme Kai."

"We've come to stop you!" Shin stated forcefully.

Babidi's eyes narrowed. "Like you did my father?"

_-Welcome to the jungle-_

Shin face contorted into a glare. "I will _not_ let you resurrect Majin Buu!"

"That's too bad; I'm sure Dabura won't like that one bit," the short wizard taunted, "He was _so_ looking forward to meeting Buu today, and as you know," his voice dropped into an angry rasp, "I really hate to see him upset!"

"Let's cut the chitchat and get right down to things," Gohan commented dryly, "I for one don't particularly feel like standing here gaping as dad and Vegeta kick the shit through each other."

_-Watch it bring you to your-_

"Agreed," Shin stated. "_I_ will take care of Babidi myself."

"Fine with me," Gohan drawled, "I got a fight to finish with Pinko anyway."

"Let's take this outside then shall we?" Babidi asked rhetorically, focusing his magic before anyone could act. "Papara papa!" The scenery shifted, and the four being from four different worlds wound up outside the ship, between the entrance and the cliff upon which the statues of Krillin and Piccolo still rested. Twitching as he noticed the grey figures, Gohan let out a war cry, charging at Dabura, as Shin sped towards Babidi; the battle was on.

_-It's gonna bring you down, HA!-_

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Author's notes:

(1) This line is adapted from an amusing conversation from the Casey and Andy webcomic, which has been put on hiatus. The original line was:  
"We will need a bomb."  
"Here you go."  
"You just happened to have one of these on you?"  
"It'd be a poor evil dictator who didn't."

Now then, for those of you who have noticed the name change and are wondering just what the hell is going on, I'll explain. When I was designing this story's chapter layout, I split it into three seperate sets of twenty chapters for ease of readability. I made these breaks where it was logical. Book 1 was the tournament. Book 2 was about Buu, and the training to kill him. Book 3 was the fight for planet Earth.

Now, at the time I was set to start posting this story, a new story was created on this site called Disturbance, which was a Radditz x Zarbon shonen-ai fic. I, for obvious enough reasons, wanted to give this story a different name. However, I didn't feel like no longer calling this fic Disturbance, because that name was chosen for a reason: the majority of songs used in this series are performed by Disturbed. As such, I decided to tack on the 'Book 1: Convergence' tag to the end of it.

That done, I had thought to post each book as a seperate story. However, I came to the realisation as I started to write Book 2 that, for me to do that, I would need to put a recap in at the start of Book 2 about where Book 1 ended, and this series isn't really designed for recaps, so I decided simply to continue the same story, just changing the name as it went on. Obviously, when Book 2 is finished, the name will change to Book 3. When that is finished, I'll either drop the Book tags entirely, going back to just Disturbed, or I'll find a new tag to add to the end of it.

Now then, that done, I should probably explain something new I'm going to be doing with this Book, and possibly the next one too. As can be seen from this chapter, there are currently three seperate groups: Gohan, Shin, Babidi and Dabura; Goku and Vegeta; and Kaen and Pi. Because of the way this story is designed, I felt it would be better to dedicate a chapter to each group, rather than switching between them within chapters. As such, the next three chapters will be run in parallel to each other.

Next time on Disturbance, Gohan finally gets to put the hurt into Dabura.


	22. D02A: Hell & Consequences

--- Disturbance, Book 2: Divergence ---

Chapter D02-A - Hell & Consequences

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-I'm not a victim 'til I let you take me down-_

Gohan raced towards Dabura at high speeds, a smirk gracing his face as he watched the Demon King prepare to intercept; everyone was _really_ underestimating him today. Using his super speed, he phased out, leaving an after image for Dabura to block, while reappearing to his left. By the time Dabura realised he'd been had Gohan had already driven his fist into the side of the demon's head, sending him crashing into Buu's ball.

_-I'm not a target at the sites of your mercy-_

With another burst of speed Gohan drove his fist into Dabura's gut, pinning the demon against the pulsing pink ball, before he began raining down a massive series of blows against him, shaking Buu's egg; he may not have powered out of his base form, but thanks to his Saiyan heritage Son Gohan could still throw a mean punch even now. What he didn't count on, however, was the fact that the Supreme Kai couldn't travel as fast as he could, and thus, Babidi was as-of-yet unengaged.

_-I never asked for anything, I'm not asking now-_

He realised this fact fairly swiftly when his body was momentarily paralysed by a surge of magical energy, before the winded Dabura cracked him across the face, sending him sprawling. Babidi's magic swiftly healing him, Dabura sneered down at his fallen opponent, mocking, "Are we having fun yet, huh?"

_-I will not be afraid-_

Gohan felt a grin come to his face as he replied, "The time of my LIFE!" As the last syllable was still leaving his lips he leapt up, flared into Super Saiyan, and launched a spin kick at the demon's head, just as Shin got close enough to Babidi to keep the wizard busy; the fight suddenly got a whole less one sided.

_-I will not be afraid!-_

"Hurry up Goten!" Trunks shouted at his partner in crime. "If we don't get there quickly we're gonna miss it!"

The two Super Saiyan kids were currently just off the coast of the island continent upon which South City, or what remained of it, was located on. It would have been a comical sight were anyone around, the orange douji-clad child flicking his legs around and shouting, "I don't wanna miss it! I don't wanna miss it! I don't wanna miss it!"

_-I've done this on my own-_

"Well hurry up then!" Trunks declared in annoyance.

"But Trunks," Goten began, having quickly calmed down, "Which way should we go? I mean, there's something going on over there," he pointed Westward, the direction they were flying, "but there's something big going on over that way," he pointed South.

_-And I don't care what you do to me-_

Pausing in the air, Trunks developed a sweat drop, before replying, "Uh... Well, we'll keep going the way we're going; it feels like it's closer, and this is the direction everyone was going before they started jumping around."

"Alright Trunks!" Goten agreed, yielding to the 'knowledge' of the older child, before the two blasted off again.

_-I won't hand over what is mine-_

About thirty seconds later, the airspace they had filled was again full of Saiyan children, though this time the children in question were not ascended. "Damn brats," Oran growled, turning to his sister and saying, "Come on, we need to pick it up if we're ever gonna catch 'em." With a nod, aura's flared into life around the two children as they sped up.

_-I've done this for too long-_

Shin and Babidi locked grasps, auras bursting into life around them as they focused their respective energies. In a direct contest of ki verses magic, the two forces cancelled each other out, but Shin would tire long before Babidi would, and both Kai and wizard knew this. Straining to overpower him, Shin growled, "It's _over_ wizard!"

_-To let you take it away from me-_

Babidi grinned. "I wouldn't count on it Kai!" With a shout, rippled of crimson lightning travelled down his arms, shocking Shin into releasing him, and Babidi quickly followed that up with another blast of magical lightning, sending the Kai sprawling. Cackling gleefully, the sorcerer turned to his minion to lend some help, but he was cut off quickly as a ki blast of the Kai's forced him to raise his barrier, refocusing his attention on his opponent.

_-It's too late to stop me 'cause I refuse to die-_

Dabura and Gohan, for their part, were locked up as well, Dabura grinning to himself as he swung his opponent up and over his shoulders as he suplexed him. What the Demon King was not prepared for, however, was Gohan grasping his wrists and bending his legs enough to land on his feet, still latched on to him, before smirking and straightening up, launching Dabura across the valley.

_-I haven't weakened just because I've shown my self-_

Gohan grit his teeth; at this level, he couldn't defeat Dabura, not fast enough anyway. Clenching his fists, he began to power up, but before he could really start he was forced to dive out of the way of a deep red blast. "Not so fast mortal," Dabura sneered, his hand still extended from the shot, "I don't plan on giving you the chance to power up any further."

_-I've taken everything, except everything what's for granted-_

"What's the matter Dabura?" Gohan asked, staring his opponent down, "You afraid you'll get your ass handed to you if I power up?"

_-I'll leave hypocrisy for everybody else-_

"Foolish boy," Dabura replied standing a fair distance away on a decently sized cliff, "I fear no mortal. I am also not a moron. I know you have more power just lurking under the surface; I can _smell_ it. However, seeing as how you'll never get the chance to use it, it's a non-issue."

"Are we going to stand around talking, or am I going to kick your ass?"

_-I will not be afraid-_

Dabura smirked, beckoning him with his hand. "You are free to try boy." With a nod, Gohan charged towards him, and Dabura flung out his other hand, shouting, "Sword!" The wicked blade that appeared in his hand was either a different sword, or a 'magic' sword, as it looked identical to the one Gohan had broken, except it was whole.

_-I will not be afraid!-_

As he got closer, Gohan fired a quick blast at Dabura's head, nothing too serious, just enough to daze him. He followed that up with a massive right hook when he got into range, the Demon King's head recoiling from the blow. Before he could get too far however Gohan grabbed his sword arm, fired a series of small blasts into his stomach at point blank range, before sending him flying to the side with a powerful backwards spinning kick, the demon's sword clattering to the ground as he flew away.

_-I've done this on my own-_

Gohan knew that wouldn't distract Dabura long enough for him to power up; after all, he could already see the Demon King righting himself in the air as he fell. He decided more drastic measures were in order. As the scattershot blasts began to rain in from the landing demon, Gohan somersaulted off the cliff side, grabbing hold of a large chunk of rock as he fell, and hurling it towards Dabura. As soon as he landed on his feet he began running, taking a flying leap after the rock and using it as a mobile shield.

_-And I don't care what you do to me-_

Dabura growled to himself as the boulder approached; whatever type of rock it was, it was too solid for his blasts to do more than chip it. Cutting off the series of blasts, he raised his arms to catch it, bracing his legs, and in this regard he was successful, stopping the rock cold. What he _didn't_ prepare for, however, was the flying kick Gohan delivered to said rock as he came in for a landing.

_-I won't hand over what is mine-_

The Super Saiyan-sized kick broke Dabura's defences, and the giant rock slammed into him, shattering on impact. Before Dabura could recover Gohan rushed in, slamming him with a quick flurry of punches, before kneeing him in the stomach, and slamming him across the face with another punishing right hook. Satisfied Dabura was out of commission Gohan clenched his fists and spread his legs, focusing on bringing his energy to the surface, but again he was forced to dive out of the way, this time from a gout of flame.

Gohan sighed harshly in annoyance, "You are _really_ getting on my nerves."

_-I've done this for too long-_

"What the blue hell is going on?" Videl asked in shocked wonder.

_-To let you take it away from me-_

"I dunno 'Del," Kat replied with a shrug.

_-It's too late to stop me 'cause I refuse to die-_

Pointing almost due South-West Yamcha supplied, "Goku and Vegeta are that way, either fighting either each other, or something powerful that can't be sensed," before shrugging, "Judging by what we saw earlier, I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's most likely the former."

_-I'm not a problem 'til you make one out of spite-_

Pointing West-North-West, Raene added, "Gohan's over that way with Shin. I can't tell for the life of me what the Kai's fighting because it's ki level is low enough to be eclipsed by the others, but Gohan's opponent is strong; stronger than most of Earth's best. Still, Gohan's only at the first level."

_-I'll give you hell and consequences for trying-_

"He probably hasn't had a chance to power up," Chichi commented.

With a grin, Cherri replied, "You're exactly right Chichi. From the way things feel, he's tried a couple of times, but keeps getting cut off."

_-You don't want an enemy-_

"What about Phoenix and Roc?" Falcon asked; she really needed either of them to teach her this 'ki sensing' thing when this was over.

_-DON'T FUCK WITH MY LIFE!-_

April shrugged. "No idea. They were last over that way," she pointed to the Southwest, "but after a brief scuffle, they disappeared. I can't sense them anywhere, so either they're somewhere we can't detect, or they're dead."

_-I will not be afraid-_

Giving her a weird look, Hawk commented, "You're taking the news that they could be dead a lot better than I would have figured, given how much you care about them."

_-I've done this on my own-_

She shrugged. "It's not the first time we thought they might have died."

_-I will not be afraid!-_

An explosion rocked the wasteland, clouds of black smoke billowing out of the valley as several of the smaller spires crumbled. A battered Dabura flew out of the smoke, aiming to put some distance between himself and his opponent, but said opponent, the golden haired Gohan, was right on his tail. With a roar, Dabura launched a massive energy ball at the approaching Saiyan, but Gohan just calmly cut the blast in half, ironically using Dabura's own sword, recovered in the confusion.

_-And I don't care what you do to me-_

Winding up, Gohan flung the sword and a ki blast at the retreating demon, before phasing out. As the teen expected, Dabura darted around to avoid the two projectiles, and right into his trap. Phasing back in behind and above him, Gohan dropped down and kneed Dabura in the back, following it up with a powerful blast, rocketing the Demon King to the ground below.

_-I won't hand over what is mine-_

Diving out of the way of the plummeting demon, Shin ran in an arc around Babidi, firing a series of blasts at the stationary wizard, but they detonated harmlessly on his black magic shield. "Don't you just love an unfair playing field?" Babidi cackled. "I know I do!"

_-I've done this for too long-_

"You won't win Babidi!" Shin declared, staring down the wizard.

Babidi laughed. "I already _am_ winning Kai!"

_-To let you take it away from me-_

Slowly circling him, the Supreme Kai stated, "Even if you succeed in resurrecting Majin Buu, you will fail just as your father did. Majin Buu is too strong for anyone to control; _this_ is why your father sealed him away. One world, three, ten; sooner or later he will grow too strong for you to control, and you too will be forced to seal him away. Then, you will meet your own end, the same way your father did."

_-It's too late to stop me 'cause I refuse to die-_

"Please, Kai," Babidi replied derisively, "Is that your excuse for going after Buu yourself? You don't seem all that sorry."

_-I've done this on my own-_

"Sorry?" Shin grinned, "Why, I've never had this much fun." As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt like slapping himself. 'The Saiyans must be rubbing off on me.'

_-And I don't care what you do to me-_

"Good," the wizard drawled sarcastically, gathering his magic. "Then let's put an end, to all of this." With a start, Shin noticed several places on the ground were glowing red, and he quickly dove out of the way as, with a shout from the shrivelled wizard, the glowing circles exploded into pillars of fire, which, in turn, turned into fiery dragons that chased the Kai down. The dragons would have succeeded in barbequing the Kai, if not for a stray rock, caused by one of Gohan's explosive blasts, wiping all of them out.

_-I won't hand over-_

Gohan was getting frustrated, and when he got frustrated, he got angry; Dabura just would _not_ give up! Growling, Gohan charged at him, shouting, "When are you gonna call it a day?" Dabura chose not to answer, powering up a blast and firing it towards the charging Saiyan. Hiding a smirk, Gohan leapt over the blast moments before it could strike him, the red blast exploding powerfully as it hit the ground.

_-I won't hand over what is mine-_

Rearing one hand back, Gohan focused a blast in his hand, enjoying the look of shock and horror on Dabura's face a little too much for it to be healthy, before his crouched legs made contact with the Demon King's chest, and he flung his hand forward, blasting the demon in the face at point blank. Temporarily blinded, Dabura roared in pain, focusing his evil will, before unleashing a powerful area detonation technique centred on himself, sending the Super Saiyan flying uncontrollably towards a nearby mountain.

_-I've done this for too long-_

Gohan climbed to his feet while the rocks dislodged by his landing were still falling towards the Earth; Dabura had handed him the perfect opportunity, and was too distracted this time to stop him. Clenching his fists, Gohan let out a rising shout, focusing his power to the fore, the raw energy bleeding off his form making the dislodged rocks float. The dark clouds gathering in the sky began to swirl around him, lightning raining around and striking the rocks around him, before with a final shout Gohan breached the barrier and flared into Super Saiyan Two.

_-To let you take it away from me-_

Before gravity could take hold again, Gohan leapt off the cliff side towards one of the larger slabs of rock, kicking off it to send it flying in Dabura's direction. The newly recovered demon growled as he watched the incoming chunk of rock, throwing his hands forward and gathering ki. With a roar, he fired a wave of energy, obliterating the rock completely, but kicking up a cloud of dust.

_-It's too late to stop me 'cause I refuse-_

This cloud provided the perfect cover. Speeding forward along the ground, using as little ki as possible to prevent detection, Gohan raced through the dust cloud, leaping over the tail end of Dabura's blast as he charged towards the demon. Dabura's eyes widened in shock as the gold-wreathed teen cleared the dust, his right fist glowing brightly, moments before said fist impacted his chest with sub-sonic force, the energy detonating on impact and sending the Demon King sprawling.

_-I refuse to die-_

A frown came to Gohan's face. This had gone on long enough, it was time to put an end to it. Unfortunately, before he could act, smoke - or maybe steam - began to blast out of the series of holes around the stand upon which Buu's ball rested. A massive smirk split Babidi's face. Gleefully, he shrieked, "Majin Buu is at full power!"

It was too late.

_-I refuse to die!-_

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

This is the first chapter of the first set of parallel chapters, if that makes sense. The next 2 chapters all happen in parallel to this one, so Majin Buu won't actually be hatched for another 3 chapters.


	23. D02B: Instruments of Destruction

--- Disturbance, Book 2: Divergence ---

Chapter D02-B - Instruments of Destruction

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-Iron birds of fortune-_

The two rivals stared each other down, each pushing forward with their raised knee in the hope of forcing their opponent to yield; a fruitless endeavour. Breaking apart with a burst of energy, the two floated backwards for a few feet before charging forward again, each throwing a right punch, one after the other, that their opponent caught in his left hand. Again they struggled to force their enemy to yield, and when that didn't work, they began trading knees.

_-Adrift above the skies-_

Vegeta grit his teeth as the pair slowly floated backwards; well, from his perspective they were floating forwards. He would attack with his right knee, and Kakarott would raise his own right to block, then, the reverse would happen. All in all, it was remarkably frustrating for the already irate prince. Quickly getting the shits with the stalemate Vegeta reared back, dragging Kakarott forwards and headbutting him.

The two released each other, Goku floating backwards holding his head, but before he could recover Vegeta sped forward, delivering a sequence of punishing punches to his torso. Forcing himself to recover, Goku caught both of Vegeta's fists, before striking him twice under the chin with his knees. As Vegeta recoiled backwards Goku released on of his arms, swinging the Saiyan Prince around, before kneeing him again in the side of the head, and sending him flying into a nearby cliff.

_-Cloudy revelations-_

Growling slightly in pain, Vegeta barked, "That's more like it." With a shout, he threw his arms backward and vaporised the rock surrounding him with a burst of energy, floating forward until there was barely a foot between him and his most hated rival. As the pair began focusing their energy, a massive golden flame burst into life around the pair of them, the two so close together their aura's merged into one.

_-Unseen by naked eyes-_

Drawing in their power, the two spared the time to smirk at one another before, with a pair of shouts and a release of energy, they began trading blows at faster-than-light speeds. As they flew through the air, Goku was quite quickly being forced backwards in his efforts to dodge Vegeta's attacks. Finally, the two threw a punch simultaneously, Vegeta's arm going over Goku's as they each struck the other in the face.

With a roar, Vegeta lunged at Goku, driving his fists into his midsection repeatedly, drawing in more and more of his energy as he did so. His aura flaring into life again, Vegeta continued to drive his fist into Goku's stomach at faster and faster speeds, until a single slick of blood escaped his mouth. Satisfied, for now, Vegeta's swung his leg up to strike the side of Goku's head, before driving his opposite knee into his battered stomach, and driving his elbow into the back of his neck.

_-Flying tools of torment-_

Babidi cackled amusedly. "Good, keep it up Vegeta! Ooh, hit him again, hit him again, ooh, ye-es! Ooh, nice shot. Very nice." Looking over at Buu's energy meter, and seeing it finally start to increase he added, "Look Dabura, at this rate Majin Buu will be at full power in no time." His cackles returning, he turned back to his crystal ball. "The only thing we have to do now is decide how we're going to exterminate the Supreme Kai."

"Yes Master," Dabura replied with a short nod.

_-Will penetrate the sphere-_

Cackling again, Babidi sand, "Oh what a hap-py da-ay! I haven't laughed this much in years!"

"Come Master, we must begin preparations," Dabura noted, "The Kai and his friend will be here any minute now."

Quickly sobering, Babidi agreed, "You're right Dabura. We wouldn't want them to feel unwelcome." (1)

_-Erupt the rock of ages-_

The two again traded blows at high speed, only this time is was Goku who was leaning forwards on the attack, and Vegeta the one being forced backwards. Jumping back a bit, Goku dove forward and drove his foot into Vegeta's stomach, a smirk on his face as he reared back for a mighty punch. Before it could hit, however, Vegeta phased out, reappearing behind him. As Goku turned to face him Vegeta smirked, throwing his hands forward towards his rival's midsection and charging a blast, firing it at point blank range.

_-Bringing final fear-_

The following explosion caused a massive sphere of golden energy to appear around Vegeta, as Goku was sent plummeting into the side of a nearby mountain, kicking up a massive cloud of dust. As the dust cleared, Vegeta stared into the wide hole, unblinking, just waiting for the moment Kakarott revealed himself again, and he was not disappointed. As a small golden light flared into existence moments before the beam was fired Vegeta forced back a gasp, charging and firing his own blast, and the two golden beams sped towards one another.

As the gold beams collided, a massive sphere of warring energy formed, half Goku's, half Vegeta's; the energy bleed was so great, visible rings of energy would be seen echoing away from where the two beams met. The two Saiyans grit their teeth, Goku pushing forward as he started floating towards his self-proclaimed rival, until all that separated them was the sphere of energy, now compressed into an ovoid.

_-Instruments of destruction-_

As lightning danced off the colliding energy, Vegeta growled out, "You're not going to win; not this time!" With a roar, he forced more energy into the blast, forcing Goku to do the same lest he be washed away. The massive ovoid kept expanding outwards, as more and more energy was being forced into a compressed space; already the two halves were no less than four times as tall as either fighter, and at least as wide as each fighter was tall.

_-Tools of power plays-_

Throwing his other hand forward, Vegeta began forcing more energy into the blast, and like before Goku was forced to do the same; by this stage, each had invested enough energy to wipe out the planet three times over into this single, powerful blast. Unable to handle the compression anymore the sphere expanded dramatically, forcing the two Saiyans away from each other as they strained to keep their energy controlled.

They failed.

_-It's a violent eruption-_

Nearly a full minute after the massive energy struggle self-destructed, gouging out a massive valley, a beaten and battered Goku forced his eyes open painfully, his wrist somehow managed to unconsciously snag the edge of the cliff he now hung from. "Don't know why I'm surprised," he mused to himself, "He _has_ been training for the last seven years straight."

_-Existence drips away-_

Suddenly, he released that he _wasn't_ hanging from the cliff anymore, despite what his arm was telling him. He discovered this the hard way, when he was lifted up by said arm to see a crouching Vegeta clenching his wrist tightly; with blood flow cut off, his hand was still transmitting the last signal it sent. Looking just as beaten and bloody as Goku, the prince smirked as he lifted Kakarott clear above the cliff, before throwing him away from it.

With a cry of pain Goku's body was driven into a rock wall by the force of the throw, arms and legs splayed. Before he could recover, Vegeta raised one hand to point at him, the first two fingers extended, and fired off five ki rings, one for each limb, and the final for his neck, securing the Low-Class Saiyan to the wall. Phasing to stand before him, Vegeta taunted, "What's the matter? Not winning as easily as you thought?"

_-What's it really matter-_

Forcing his words past the ki ring restricting his windpipe, Goku replied, "I never said it would be easy."

Vegeta smirked to himself, commenting, "You won't be winning at all," before calmly slapping him twice, once on each side. When Goku growled at him he shouted, "What clown? Are you feeling angry, humiliated; is that it?" He drove his knee into Kakarott's stomach. "Fool, you don't know what humiliation is!" As is to drive his point home he punched him in the face several times during his remark, before launching into a series of punches to the face, punches to the stomach, and knees to the stomach.

_-When nothing really counts-_

As Goku began coughing up blood, Vegeta ceased his assault, stating, "Don't worry, I will teach you it's bitter taste just as _you_ have taught _me_." Clenching his fists, he continued, "Me! A Warrior Elite! In my _fingertips_ I hold the power to destroy entire _worlds_. I am a Saiyan of Royal blood, the last of my kind, and on my shoulders rests the glory of a borderline extinct warrior race. Whole civilizations once trembled at the sound of my name."

_-Grave eternal darkness when you're-_

"But you didn't, did you Kakarott?" Vegeta spat, "And at your hands, your _common_ hands, my honour and my pride, the foundations upon which I have always stood, began to crumble at my feet. It was at your hands that I suffered my first great humiliation, toppled by a piece of low-level trash! Imagine my added shame when it was you, and not _me_ who avenged out people by defeating Frieza; you, who were the first to achieve the pinnacle of our race. The first in a thousand years to take a place among the Super Saiyans of legend, a place that I had been raised to believe was _my_ Royal birthright!"

_-Drained of every ounce-_

His fist twitching a little, he continued, "And imagine the disgrace I suffered when the strength I worked my _whole_ life to acquire was surpassed by a mere child. _Your_ half-breed son succeeded where I, the Prince of all Saiyans, had failed." His face began twitching from barely repressed emotions as he finished, "It is time to take back what is mine! I will not live my life as your second. That time is over; every breath you take is an assault to my honour. But no more Kakarott! By _my_ hands, you will be cut down inch by inch, the way _you_ have cut down my pride!"

_-And when the nightmare's over-_

Goku didn't reply, having spent the time Vegeta used talking to gather and regain his strength. Clenching his fists, he began pulling at the rings that bound his arms, focusing his strength with a rising shout as his aura returned, and with one final shout, and a declaration of shock from Vegeta, Goku freed his legs and his neck with a burst of energy, but used that same burst to carve out the rock around the rings binding his arms; for the briefest of moments, with the halo above his head, the rocks bound to his arms, and golden light radiating from him, he looked like an angel.

_-The final from the storm-_

That moment ended the second he sped forward with a shout and slammed first one rock, then the other into Vegeta's head, racing forward and punching the dazed prince in the stomach until he almost keeled over, before kneeing him in the face. The force of this final blow sent Vegeta careening uncontrollably into a mountain, and through the side of it into the cave within.

_-Dust of all creation-_

Flying into the hole after him, Goku calmly stood in the centre of the shaft of light, hunting for Vegeta's ki signature. 'Focus!' he thought to himself, 'I know you're here Vegeta; I'll sense where you're hiding.' The sound of rocks falling behind him drew the younger Saiyan's attention, as a golden energy blast forced it's way through the rocks towards him. Quickly throwing his hands up to block, Goku strained against the blast for a short moment before managing to throw it out the hole.

_-To ashes we transform-_

"I'm here fool!" Vegeta shouted, phasing in behind him and grabbing him under the arms. Leaning back to force Goku off his feet, Vegeta shot upwards, intent on driving Kakarott bodily through a nearby stalactite. Goku had other plans however, forcing the pair to a standstill before forcing Vegeta backwards with a burst of energy. Spinning to face his opponent, Goku cupped his hands, focusing energy, and Vegeta placed his hands before him, touching at the wrist. As they fired their respective attacks, two cries rang out throughout the range.

_-Instruments of destruction-_

"Kamehameha!"

"Gallick Gun!"

The mountain disappeared in a pillar of golden light.

_-Tools of power plays-_

Erecting a Magic Shield, Babidi spared a glance at the meter next to Buu's ball, noticing the needle wavering around just after the three-quarters mark. Smiling gleefully as the ball itself stopped pulsing pink, and instead, a pulsing light seemed to emanate from inside, Babidi turned back to the Supreme Kai, who was at that moment trying to force his way through the shield with a ki beam. "You hear that Kai?" the wizard taunted, "That is the sound of inevitability. It is the sound of your death."

"Not if I can help it wizard!" Shin shouted back.

"You don't get it do you?" Babidi retorted. "You _can't_ stop it! It's already too late; in thirty seconds, Majin Buu will be at full power!"

_-It's a violent eruption-_

Goku charged his opponent, aura blazing, but it was quickly snuffed out as he was sent rocketing backwards by a punch to the face. Vegeta gave charge, aiming to bisect Kakarott with his leg, but Goku flared his aura back into life, decking Vegeta; like Goku before him, Vegeta's aura burnt out for a second before he reignited it. Electricity dancing around their forms as they fought at the peak of Super Saiyan Two, the two fighters traded powerful blows, each capable of punching a hole through a blast door.

_-Existence drips away-_

As the pair drifted across the sky, their auras combined into a single translucent sphere of golden light, blue electricity dancing from the edges. With one final burst of energy from a connecting attack, a blinding light erupted from the pair, the sonic shock from the strike crumbling a mountain spire before Goku dove upwards to avoid another of Vegeta's attacks.

Gazing up at his rival, Vegeta commented, "So, you've still got plenty of fight left? Impressive. I didn't think you'd last this long."

_-Instruments of destruction-_

"Really? I could say the same about you Vegeta," Goku retorted, "You've learned a few new tricks while I've been away." Barking a laugh Vegeta phased in behind him with a kick, and Goku quickly leant out of the way, retaliating with an elbow of his own; Vegeta merely dropped down to ground level to avoid the strike. As soon as Goku's feet touched the dirt Vegeta unleashed a ki beam upon him, leaping into the air the moment his attention was no longer required to maintain it, and Goku waited until the last minute before taking off after him, dodging the blast and using the dust cloud kicked up by the explosion to cover his approach.

_-Tools of power plays-_

The two brawling Saiyans flew sideways across the plain, crashing into, and burrowing through, a mountain purely because it was in their way. Goku blasted out of the dust first, flying out backwards, and Vegeta was hot on his tail, firing blasts upwards at the retreating Saiyan. The first one he dodged, the second he cut in half, the third, fourth and fifth were also dodged, and the sixth and final also cut in half, the explosions creating a smoke cloud.

Vegeta used this ki smoke as cover, as it blocked both Kakarott's sight and ki sense from tracking him. Swooping down behind him Vegeta swung his leg around and drove it into Kakarott's stomach, before grabbing the stunned Saiyan around the neck. Flaring his aura, Vegeta aimed the pair of them towards the ground, plummeting at high speeds as he barked, "What's the matter clown?"

_-It's a violent eruption-_

With a massive cloud of dust Vegeta drove Goku bodily into the dirt, and, as soon as the younger Saiyan had climbed to his feet, sent him sprawling again with a variant of the Son Headbutt; a full body torpedo tackle where one strikes with the forehead. Quickly landing on his feet, Vegeta sent a blast after the sprawling Goku that the deceased fighter only just managed to dive out of the way of. Changing his aim to the new resting place of his rival, Vegeta fired a second blast, before tearing forward as it hit, shouting, "DIE!"

_-Existence drips away-_

When he arrived, however, the dust cloud faded to reveal Goku's absence. "As I was saying Vegeta," a voice announced from behind him, "You've learned a few new tricks while I've been away. But then, so have I." Before Vegeta had a chance to put up a defence Goku teleported directly in front of him using his Instant Transmission technique, laying into the egotistical prince and sending him stumbling back, before driving his elbow into his back and drop kicking him.

Flying uncontrollably, Vegeta crashed into another of the many mountains around, dislodging a few rocks as he plummeted tot he ground, and a few well-aimed ki blasts by Goku caused the rest of the mountain to come down around him. The deceased warrior cried out in shock as a blast shot out of the dust cloud towards him. Leaping over the approaching blast, Goku raced towards its origin, and began trading blows with Vegeta once more.

_-Instruments of destruction-_

The second the dust cloud cleared Vegeta sent Goku flying with a right cross, blasting off in pursuit and catching up with him over a lake. With a shout, Vegeta dropped Kakarott with a double axe handle, causing him to splash down in the icy waters. Aiming a hand at the lake, Vegeta waiting until the moment Goku's head crested the waves kicked up by their energy before charging his attack, firing it with a shout of, "Big Bang Attack!" Goku threw up his hands to catch the attack and was driven back into the lake, the water turning gold as the blast lit it up, before the massive explosion vaporised the entire thing, leaving just a smoking hole in the ground.

_-Tools of power plays-_

It was out of this smoking hole that Goku calmly floated up to Vegeta's level. Vegeta smirked. "You've become quite the escape artist."

Goku smirked back, "Maybe you just need some better finishing moves."

"I doubt that." Flaring his aura, Vegeta dropped down to ground level, and Goku quickly followed him, where the two stared each other down, panting to catch their breath.

_-It's a violent eruption-_

"I'm amazed Vegeta," Goku commented, breaking the silence, "These past seven years in Otherworld I've been through the most intense training sessions, but we're still completely even. I guess all this time you've been pushing yourself even harder than I have."

_-Existence drips away-_

"That may be true," Vegeta replied conversationally, "I've pushed myself to the edge of my limits and beyond, but you've been born with a natural talent _far_ beyond my own; no amount of training could have closed the gap between us. I realise that now; it was made _painfully_ obvious to me today as I watched your fight with Babidi's monster." Turning introspective, he continued, "Imagine my shock to see the _undeniable_ proof to discover that no matter how hard I tried I would _never_ be able to catch you; a warrior prince forever living in the shadow of a low-level clown!" Clenching his fist, he smirked, "So that's when I secretly made up my mind."

Realisation dawning, Goku gaped at him in shock. "You... mean you...? You fool! You deliberately let yourself fall under Babidi's spell."

_-Instruments of destruction!-_

Vegeta's smirk widened. "Yes. I saw the power of Babidi's magic. At the World Martial Arts Tournament those two henchmen he sent. The people who had seen those fighters in the previous tournament couldn't understand how they'd become so powerful, but you and I know, don't we? It was Babidi's magic, and I knew that what his magic had done for those fighters it could also do for me. I knew that if I allowed myself to fall under his control the difference in our power would disappear!" He smiled coldly. "I'm quite pleased with the results, even if they do come at a price. I'd say the end more than justifies the means!"

_-Tools of power plays!-_

"Vegeta, I don't understand, you've never allowed anyone to help you before in your life; why start now? Why Babidi?" Goku asked hurriedly.

Clenching his fists until they began to shake, Vegeta replied in a strained voice, "Because I wanted him to reawaken the evil in my heart. I wanted him to return me to the way I was BEFORE!" He punctuated his statement with a massive surge of energy, the gale-force winds kicking up dust clouds. "I was the perfect warrior; cold and ruthless, I lived by my strength alone, uninhibited by foolish emotion!"

_-It's a violent eruption!-_

The winds dying, he continued, "But slowly, over the years, I became one of you, my quest for greatness gradually giving way to this life of mediocrity. I awoke one day to find that I had settled down, formed a family... I had even grown quite fond of them. Would you believe I almost started to think the Earth was a nice place to live? Do you understand now Kakarott? That's why I needed Babidi: to set me free. By releasing the evil in my heart, he has freed me of these _petty_ attachments." Closing his eyes for a moment a smile came to his face as he made one final comment, "And I have to say it feels pretty good."

"Do you really believe what you're saying?" Goku asked rhetorically, as silence returned to the valley, broken only by the wind.

_-Existence drips away!-_

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

Ah, the long awaited showdown between Goku and Vegeta. Always fun to watch.

(1) - Do note that this scene technically takes place, chronologically speaking, during D01, while Shin and Gohan are descending the final drop into the ship. However, as D02-A, -B, and -C are in non-synchronous parallel (as in, they're happening side by side, but not at a uniform time) events can happen late in one that were actually early in another.

Confused? Think of the time line this way:

Start of D01----------------Start of D02-B----End of D01/Start of D02-A---------------------End of D02-A/-B

I don't plan on having too many scenes that would suggest these parallel chapters interlace, but the two scenes I included in this one were ones I wanted to use in the other chapters, but didn't find a place for.


	24. D02C: Meaning of Life

--- Disturbance, Book 2: Divergence ---

Chapter D02-C - Meaning of Life

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

Additional Disclaimer: To those who find the character Pi endearing, I take no blame for what's about to happen. Complain to the character's creator, my beta Ninja. Send him angry emails, he likes them.

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_-Get psycho / I wanna get psycho-_

The two fighters stood motionless, unheeding of the frozen wasteland around them, or the icy wind that tore through the valley, threatening to chill the blood in their veins; the pair had long since trained themselves to withstand such temperatures with ease. On the Western side of their impromptu arena stood the green-clad female known as Pi, glaring at the man across from her, the 'M' branded on his forehead seeming to mock her.

_-Get psycho / I wanna wanna wanna wanna-_

On the Eastern side stood the black-clad man once known as Kaen, but now calling himself 'Dark Phoenix'. If the glare his female counterpart threw his way bothered him, he didn't show it. Instead, he just grinned callously at her, his arms folded in front of his chest, as his visage seemed to waver a bit, like a TV lacking focus, a testament to what Babidi's magicks had done to him.

_-I wanna get psycho / Run you little bitch-_

The standoff continued in silence, the only noise being the whistle of the wind. At the edge of their senses, they could feel Goku and Vegeta fighting somewhere to the West, or East depending on which way you looked, as well as Gohan, Dabura, and Shin to the South-East, clearly still near Babidi's ship. None of these mattered however; all that mattered was the person before them.

_-I want your power glowing, juicy flowing, red hot, meaning of life-_

Eventually, it was Pi who broke the silence, asking wistfully, "Oh Kaen, what did that toad Babidi do to you..."

"What did he do to me?" Phoenix echoed, before laughing mockingly. After a brief burst of laughter he sobered again, replying simply, "He set me free."

"What do you mean?" She asked, "Free from what?"

_-It's not enough to have a little taste-_

"From you," he replied simply, if coldly. "Thanks to Babidi, I have been freed from the prison in Kaen's mind, where I was locked away when you came back into the picture. And once I kill you, we will return to our peak again, free of weakness." From the look on her face he could tell she didn't get it, so he explained, "You don't know who I am, do you? _I_ am what Kaen became when he had nothing to lose and everything to gain. _I_ am what Kaen became to survive. _I_ am Kaen's true strength."

_-I want the whole damn thing now / Can you dig it?-_

"You're insane," she commented abruptly, cutting off any more egocentric babble. Internally, Pi was a little surprised that Kaen had actually had split personalities, or at least something that degraded into split personalities. 'Explains a bit though...' she mused to herself, making sure to block the thought; she wasn't sure whether or not this facet of Kaen could hear her thoughts or not, but she wasn't taking any chances.

_-Need to get psycho / Wanna hear you say it-_

He just grinned at her, but the look never met his eyes. "Maybe I am. That won't stop me from killing you, however."

"You can try," she commented mockingly.

_-Say, you want it, need it / Don't wanna wait until we finish the show-_

"I don't need to try!" He shouted back. "When I stomp you into the ground, you will see once and for all that _I_ am the source of Kaen's _true_ strength!"

"You're also delusional, it seems," she added, folding her arms, "Without me, Kaen never would have ascended."

_-It's not enough, you hunger for more-_

"You are nothing," Phoenix commented, unfolding his arms and holding them out to the side disinterestedly. "I will admit you were the transformation's trigger, but you are hardly the cause of it." He grinned coldly again, adding, "You were fun to have around though. You've been a good little bitch, but we always did keep your leash a little long, so it's time to put you down."

_-You're one twisted little fuck / And now you wanna get psycho with me-_

He never saw her move, not until he heard, and felt, the resounding crack of the back of her hand striking his face; Pi had had quite enough of his derogatory remarks. Her voice took on a deeper tone, more sultry, one he'd not heard since his first altercation with Vegeta - or what would have been an altercation had she not stopped him - when he had insulted her, as she barked out, "Enough Kaen, Phoenix, or whatever bullshit you're calling yourself now. I've had enough."

_-Give in, give in, decide, give in-_

She folded her arms again, the glare on the face proving once and for all she was her father's daughter, as she continued, "All those years since we were young, all those times that I acted like the scared little weakling, the weakling you fought hard to protect. That was all for you, all of it, an act; nothing more than a ruse to make you stronger, to make you feel more empowered. I gave up my pride, for you, I gave it all up for you."

_-Give in, give in, decide, give in-_

A small, fond smile found it's way to her face. "When we first met, the pretty little dress you torched, hah, it was all for you. I was raised for you Kaen. I was born and bred for you." She shrugged, "Many would call it innocence, others call it weakness, but it was all for you. I may have taken a different tract of pride, one that was not quite the following of Saiyan heritage, but it was all for you."

_-Give in, give in, decide, give in-_

Unfolding her arms again to hold them at her side, she closed her eyes, continuing her tale, "The day you ascended, my purpose was given more meaning, because _that_ was the true reason for my being, to give you more strength. And I felt pride that my purpose was fulfilled." She paused as, with a flash of light, the green gi she wore was replaced by a copy of that Kaen himself wore, only with a green torso instead of the normal red. A scowl on her face, she finished her little spiel, "I sacrificed many things just for you Kaen, so much, but I will _never_ let you disrespect me; that is one thing I will never take from you, or anyone else. You _will_ respect me Kapskaen, willingly or begrudgingly."

_-Give in, give in, decide, give in-_

To a normal person, her speech seemed to have no affect on the Saiyan male before her, but Pi knew better. She could see the subtle signs that spoke louder than any words ever could have; he was worried, worried that she spoke the truth. Deep inside, under the bravado, despite who or what he was now, he was still her Kaen, and the words she spoke shook the very core of his world to it's foundations, just like she'd planned.

_-Get psycho / I wanna get psycho-_

On the outside however... "Are you quite done?" Phoenix commented, ignoring the dull red mark on the right side of his face. "He can't hear you, you know. This body is mine now, and I don't plan on giving it back. You're wasting your breath if you think you can talk me around."

_-Get psycho / I wanna wanna wanna wanna-_

"Oh, that's not why I said that," Pi replied offhandedly, "That would merely have been a nice side-effect."

"Oh?" He asked, genuinely curious, "Then why?"

_-I wanna get psycho / Scratch my itch-_

She grinned, "To give me time to charge enough energy to do this." With a rising shout, a translucent white sphere of energy began expanding, centred on her. Before he could react, the light washed over him, proving to be seemingly harmless, and kept expanding. By the time the light faded, the dome had expanded to cover the entire island continent, and much of the ocean surrounding it.

_-Give me your power glowing, juicy flowing red hot, meaning of life-_

Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "And what was the point of _that_?"

Still grinning, she supplied, "You and I, along with this entire island, are now out of the time stream. This way, there will be no outside forces interfering, and none of our energy will go to reviving Majin Buu. Once I knock some sense into you Kaen, time will return to normal again, but until then..."

_-It's not enough to have a little piece-_

He could see the point of her actions, although he would never admit that, least of all to her; he may have been effectively a Majin now, but that didn't mean he wanted to see Babidi's plans come to fruition. Still, he had to comment, "When I kill you - and I will - Kaen and I will become one again, but until then, he is merely a spectator in his own mind, like I've been these past few months. And he will get to watch as I destroy you, once and for all."

_-I want the whole damn thing now / Can you dig it?-_

She nodded, all business, "So how do we do this then? We both know if we resort to energy attacks, we'll never get anywhere."

Phoenix grinned, reaching up to draw his sword, before replying, "I was thinking of something a little more... old fashioned."

_-Need to get psycho / Wanna hear you scream-_

"No ki?" She asked curiously. At his nod, she drew her own sword, and the two fell into their respective stances. Having both been trained by her father, it proved to be a most interesting bout. The silence returned, as the standoff began again, before, with a silent signal, the two leapt into action; the battle was on.

_-Tell me to take you, scare you, fuck you / After we finish the show-_

There was a shower of sparks as the two blades met, Pi's green blade locking into the notches on Phoenix's red. Simultaneously jumping back, the two leapt again, strike meeting strike, as Pi was slowly forced back, towards the wide chasm behind her. Breaking apart again, the pair leapt into the air, their blades ringing against each other's three times, before the fourth strike, an 'uppercut', sent her flying backwards, and into the chasm.

_-It's not enough, you listening whore?-_

As she fell, refusing to use her ki to fly, she mused to herself that it was no coincidence 'Phoenix' had chosen this particular spot to fight in; he knew the terrain, and that had her at a disadvantage. She cast her eyes around quickly, trying to locate her missing opponent. Hearing a crack sound to her right, she sent her gaze that way, only to see, a second too late, Phoenix spring-boarding horizontally off a column of ice towards her. Cringing inside, she quickly brought her sword up to block the strike, and as the two blades met, she was sent flying backwards, crashing through the ice wall, and sliding a few metres in the cavern behind.

_-You're one twisted little fuck / And now you wanna get psycho with me-_

Picking herself, and her sword, up again, she noticed Phoenix flipping into the hole her body had broken, rushing towards her, sword at the ready. As he leapt into the air towards her, she swung her sword up to block, back-flipping over his next strike, then rebounding off the wall behind her and leaping away, aiming to put some distance between them.

_-Give in, give in, decide, give in-_

Jumping off the walls, floor, and low ceiling, the two played keep away for a while, Phoenix chasing Pi, a flare of light occurring in the otherwise dark cavern whenever the two blades met. After a short while, however, Phoenix leapt away from her after a blocked attack, disappearing behind an ice wall. Moving quickly through the cavern, she cast her eyes around quickly, trying to spot him before it was too late.

_-Give in, give in, decide, give in-_

Noticing a sudden movement in front of her she leapt up, flying over the arc of Phoenix's sword, the fire-wrought blade slicing easily through the ice wall. Landing on one hand, she cartwheeled to her feet again, bringing her sword up to block the strike she knew was incoming, then attacking with an overhanded strike of her own.

Grinning as he blocked her attack, Phoenix taunted, "Where did you find _this_ strength?"

_-Give in, give in, decide, give in-_

Gritting her teeth, she replied, "I'm not about to tell you!" Tensing her muscles, she forced him backwards, and up, sending him crashing diagonally through the rock-and-ice ceiling of the cavern, into the valley behind. Leaping out after him, and landing on a minor cliff inside the chasm, she quickly looked around, trying to spot where he'd gone, before a sudden crash behind her drew her attention. Spinning around quickly, she noticed a massive chunk of ice inbound, and leapt away quickly, landing on a nearby plateau as the ice boulder demolished where she'd been standing.

_-Give in, give in, decide, give in-_

Turning around quickly, she spotted Phoenix leaping down, and raised her sword up to block the incoming flurry of attacks. Spotting an opening, she attacked quickly, a move he jumped back to avoid, and she leapt into the air, spinning to attack with a downward strike, the force of which sent a shockwave through the ground. Phoenix, however, had seen the attack coming, and leapt up onto the next level of the ice shelf.

_-I can feel the blood, flowing through my veins, spilling on my soul-_

There was the sound of ice cracking, as she heard him stab his sword into the ground on front of him. Leaping away from the chunk of ice now sliding her way, she turned in mid-air to block the attacks from Phoenix, who she'd felt jumping after her, before her brief flight was cut off as she landed on a nearby ice spire. Recovering quickly from her unexpected landing, she turned in the direction Phoenix had continued, only to duck quickly as his sword sailed through the air her head had once occupied.

_-And now the hunger's getting bigger-_

Grinning at her, Phoenix flared into Super Saiyan, rushing in to attack her before she could respond. Quickly batting aside the first blow, she ducked the second, using the time to join him in ascension before raising her sword to block the third strike. Still grinning, Phoenix leapt backwards, spinning as he went to slice off part of a cliff nearby, before jumping off that spire towards the massive ice mountain behind.

_-Come a little closer now pretentious whore and pull my trigger-_

Following him quickly, Pi sliced clean through the chuck of ice and rock he'd sent her way, her golden aura changing to green as she employed her personal power-up technique, before leaping after him. In their airborne confrontation, she, for the first time, had the upper hand, and she took advantage, blocking his flurry of attacks before kicking off him, using the extra distance to reach the small ledge underneath the massive overhang of the mountain, while sending Phoenix plummeting down the chasm.

_-Free the violence that is building in me-_

Thinking quickly as he fell head first down the cliff, and, like Pi, refusing to fly, Phoenix jammed his sword into the ice wall, spinning in mid-air to stand on the edge of the blade, and craned his head to look up at Pi. Looking down at him, Pi felt a grin come to her own face, commenting, "On your knees. I want you to _beg_ for forgiveness." No sooner had she spoken than the Earth energy of her power-up caused an avalanche, the massive overhang above her crashing down. Turning to face it, she reinforced her blade with Earth energy, making a single slice in the chunk of rock and ice and causing it to almost explode into fragments of varying sizes, which rained around her, obscuring her from view.

_-I say now end of the ride, murder suicide / Is how I've been feelin' lately-_

As the avalanche of doom fell ever closer, Phoenix calmly reached down, utilising his sword clone technique to 'pull' a second sword out of the one he was standing on. Jamming it into the wall beside the first, he jumped down quickly, before the sword could disappear again, grabbing the pair by the hilt. Bracing his legs against the wall, Phoenix flared into his own power-up, his golden aura 'bleeding' until it became solid red, before he yanked the swords out, backflipping to face the impending stone rain.

_-Come a little closer my pretentious whore I'm living with a feeling that I can't ignore-_

As gravity began taking hold, Phoenix swung his fire-wreathed swords to slice through any and all chunks that came his way, the avalanche falling at a faster speed than him. After dicing up three ice boulders, Phoenix watched as the next exploded before his eyes, revealing the plummeting form of Pi. Bringing one sword up to block, the force of impact sent the two down to a relatively large, flat chunk of ice. The pair landing on their feet, Phoenix was quick to try and press the advantage, flipping over Pi with an attempted strike, before landing behind her.

_-Come a little closer my pretentious whore I'm living with a feeling that I can't ignore-_

Turning to face him, her sword still raised from where she'd blocked his attack, the two stared each other down, before the scene was shattered by a fast moving rock impacting the platform on which they stood, cracking it down the middle and bowing one side of it. Simultaneously leaping away, the two bounded from one falling platform to another, striking at one another every chance they got, until eventually they wound up on opposite, facing platforms; from where each stood, the other was 'above' them.

_-Come a little closer my pretentious whore I'm living with a feeling that I can't ignore-_

The two continued to rain blows at each other, Pi easily holding her own, and even attacking herself, despite the fact Phoenix had one more sword than her. Eventually, though, at the back of their senses they could hear the first chunks of ice and rock slamming into the chasm floor, and knew it was only seconds until what they stood on joined it, which would, in turn, be crushed underneath what was yet to come. Sending one last strike his way, Pi leapt away, slicing through a chunk of ice blocking her way, and let her momentum carry her away from the avalanche. Phoenix just glared at her departing form, before following her, the sword in his left hand exploding in a gout of flame.

_-And the need to get psycho is not a question to me-_

Leaping from ledge to ledge, many carved out by the very avalanche she had caused, Pi eventually reached the plateau atop the mountain, mere metres above where the massive chunk of ice had once rested. There, she fell to her knees, her green aura fading back to gold; she was exhausted, whereas Phoenix, through the power of Majin magic, could probably keep going forever.

_-Get, get, get, get, get psycho / I wanna get psycho-_

Forcing herself to her feet, she could hear the whistling sound of an inbound body; turning quickly to face it, she rolled out of the way as Phoenix leapt back onto the scene, instantly striking out at her head. Spinning back up again, the two stared each other down, Phoenix picking up the signs of weakness in her stance, before pressing the advantage. She fought as hard as she could, but in the end, it wasn't enough, and, after dodging several blows that, no doubt, would have left nasty scars, she felt Phoenix's foot impact harshly with her hand, and her sword went flying; completing the motion, Phoenix's other foot crashed into the side of her knee, sending her to her knees before him.

_-Get, get, get, get, get psycho / I wanna get psycho-_

Phoenix grinned down at her, commenting, "You see now? I am Kaen's true strength."

"Kill me." Pi remarked, smiling up at him defiantly, if tiredly, "Without Kaen, my life has no purpose."

_-Get, get, get, get, get psycho / I wanna get psycho-_

Inside the cell in Kaen's mind, the one from which Phoenix was released, the original Kaen locked within was shocked to the core. Despite what Phoenix believed, he _could_ hear what was going on around him, as well as see it, and true to Pi's belief, her utter dedication to him shook the foundations of his world, yet made sense for reasons he couldn't explain.

_-Get, get, get, get, get psycho / I wanna get psycho-_

On top of that, he felt a strange sense of deja vu about the fight. Having the memories of around two hundred and forty years of life jumbled up in your mind could give you deja vu about pretty much anything, but for some reason, he felt this was something from _his_ life. He could almost taste it, and yet, he knew there was something different, something that separated what happened from what he remembered, but he just couldn't place it...

_-Get, get, get, get, get psycho / I wanna get psycho-_

Phoenix scowled at her; even now, even beaten like she was, she refused to admit he was the better. Raising his sword for one last strike, he muttered, "So be it," before bringing the weapon down, aiming to take her head off with one clean strike.

_-Get, get, get, get, get psycho / I wanna get psycho-_

Time seemed to slow down, and in the back of his mind, Kaen watched in horror as the milliseconds ticked by, the blade drawing ever closer to his mate's neck. Closing his eyes, he willed himself not to watch any longer, unnoticing of how his power rose, before his prison shattered as he let lose one gut-wrenching cry.

"NOOOOOO!!!!!!!"

_-I wanna, wanna, wanna, wanna-_

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

The fight scene was inspired/ripped-off from Final Fantasy: Advent Children.


	25. D03: Awaken

--- Disturbance, Book 2: Divergence ---

Chapter D03 - Awaken

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-Stripped of life, alone-_

Babidi let out a gleeful cackle as he watched the steam venting around the muddy brown ball, which pulsed eerily like a beating heart. "He's coming out! He's really real!" The wizard exclaimed; were Dabura not digging himself out of a nearby mountainside he probably would have congratulated his master. "He's going to come out, and when he does, EVERYBODY'S GOING TO RUN AROUND AND SUFFER 'TIL THEY DIE! My father will be avenged by his own creation, and I'm the one who made it all possible!"

_-In the midst of something that I want to play with your evil inside-_

"Not on my watch," Gohan stated coldly, spreading his legs as he dropped into a fairly tight stance, cupping his hands by his left hip. With a primal roar, Gohan's aura exploded into a pillar of golden fire, beams of pure light shining up like spotlights before spinning around him. Clenching his teeth, he forced his aura back down, concentrating the energy until it returned to it's usual state, before charging energy in his hands. "Ka Me Ha Me..."

_-Wanting, letting go, of what never could be again-_

Turning around to watch him, Babidi asked rhetorically, "What do you suppose got into that one?" No answer was forthcoming however, as Dabura, with a burst of energy, blasted out of the rockslide he lay in, sped over to Babidi, and picked him up, getting him out of the way.

He was just in time. "HA!"

_-Lost and alone, imprisoned now inside your mind-_

A brilliant blue beam blasted forward from Gohan's extended hands, striking Buu's ball with tremendous force. Speeding over to him, Shin asked urgently, "What are you doing? We must retreat quickly! We've no choice; I've seen what Buu is capable of, and it's more than our present state can handle! This is a time for strategy Gohan, not blind heroics! We must regroup and wait for a better opportunity; we _have_ to wait!"

Gritting his teeth, Gohan forced out, "Sorry Supreme Kai, but I can't; not again. I'm not just going to stand around and watch the people I care about get hurt."

_-With the way you tried, to destroy me again-_

"But we need you alive!" Shin pleaded, to no effect. With another shout, Gohan pumped more energy into the blast, the beam doubling in width as it strained against Buu's ball, but despite all the power behind it, the ball barely rocked. "He can't be stopped!"

A smirk coming to his face, Gohan quipped, "Well, at least I'll make them work for it."

_-You were waiting and living for no one-_

Goten and Trunks sped through the air, finally having reached the land that was the Western part of the main continent, but unbeknownst to them, they had drifted from their flight due west; neither one was particularly adept at ki sensing, and neither child were really paying attention to where they were going. Feeling a sharp ki jump a bit to the south Goten stopped abruptly, shouting, "Hold on Trunks, hold on!"

Turning to face his friend, Trunks paused in the air, his aura burning out. "What Goten?"

_-With the way you tried, to completely refuse all your life-_

Looking towards the direction he felt the ki, Goten replied, "Something over there feels really weird. Do you think that could be where the grown-ups are at?"

"Yeah," Trunks admitted begrudgingly, "But that's weird; I still feel something ahead of us too, don't you?" Unknowingly, Trunks' course had begun steering itself instinctively towards his father's ki signature. When Goten nodded, Trunks growled angrily, "So which way is right? Man I wish they would've left us some directions!"

_-Feed on your nothing, you'll never live up to me-_

Picking up something at the edge of his hearing, Goten looked towards the south again, noticing a massive flock of birds flying as quickly as they could away from where he felt the power. "Whoa, birdies!"

"Why so many?" Trunks asked curiously.

_-Awaken you, with little evil inside-_

Putting a finger to his lips in thought, Goten replied, "They sound kinda frightened to me."

Trunks crossed his legs in midair, contemplating what to do. "I dunno what scared birds sound like, but I bet they're coming from some kind of trouble. And that means-"

_-Feed on your nothing, you'll never live up to me-_

"There you two morons are!" A new voice declared, cutting Trunks off. Turning to face the speaker, the two boys noticed Oran and Lime racing towards them, white auras surrounding them. Stopping a couple of metres away from them, Oran spoke again, "Are you two numbskulls aware you've been drifting north for the past few minutes?"

Ignoring the remark, Trunks asked, "What are you guys doing here?"

Lime smirked. "We were sent to make sure you two didn't do anything stupid."

_-I've stricken you, I want to live with the lie-_

That comment seemed to appease Goten's curiosity, but Trunks was a little more sceptical. "Uh huh. Why are you really here?"

Oran shrugged. "We wanted to see that Buu thing as much as you."

_-Feed on your nothing and you'll never live up to me-_

"So why did you stop here?" Lime asked.

"Oh, we were tryin' to work out which way to go," Goten replied, as if it were obvious.

_-Awaken you-_

The twins gave the boys blank looks. "You really don't know how to sense ki properly do you?" They deadpanned together, before pointing at opposite power signals. Oran, aiming at the one they were previously headed, added, "Your dads are that way, kicking the shit through each other." Lime, pointing at the one to the south, added, "Gohan's that way, fighting some big evil thing."

_-Ooh no, can't live up to me-_

"Then south it is!" Trunks declared, his aura returning as he blasted off without another word.

"Wait for me Trunks!" Goten shouted, blasting off after him.

_-So, I've stricken you-_

Turning towards his sister, Oran pointed his thumb towards the receding form of Trunks and asked, "Honestly, what do you see in him?"

She just shook her head. "Some days, I honestly don't know." Without another word, the two took off after the boys. Again.

_-Feed on your nothing and you'll never live up to me-_

The force of the wind being kicked up by Gohan's attack was incredible. Were he not holding tightly to Dabura's cape, the diminutive wizard would probably have been blown right off his feet. Despite all of that, however, the ball of Majin Buu had still not budged from its spot atop its stand, and the steam continued to vent around it. "Curse that boy!" Dabura growled. "Master, we must stop this interference before he ruins the hatching!"

"Oh let him have his fun Dabura," Babidi replied cheerfully, a massive grin splitting his tiny face, "That level of attack is like a fleabite to Majin Buu!" Observing for a few more moments, he added, "There, you see? All that and he can't even budge it _one bit_!"

_-Stripped of life, alone-_

As if just to spite him, Gohan let out another yell, pumping more energy into his attack, and this time it reached critical mass. A massive tornado of energy exploded upwards around Buu's egg, completely vaporising the stand upon which it sat, and sending the brown ball hurtling into the sky, much to the shock of everyone watching. As gravity took hold again, Gohan cupped his hands once more, charging more energy. "Here goes. Kamehameha!"

The new beam, carving a trench through the earth despite the fact it had been fired at an angle, intercepted the ball before it could reach the ground. The force of the beam kept the ball afloat for quite a while, before the energy detonated, the light of the explosion preventing the observers from noticing the final pulse of light from inside the ball, before it crashed heavily to the ground, rolling a bit before coming to a complete stop.

_-In the midst of something that I want to play with your evil inside-_

Wiping the sweat off his brow, Gohan commented offhandedly to the Kai, "And you were worried Vegeta'd release him by blowing up the ship... why?"

Before Shin could reply there was a slight crack sound from the scorched brown egg, and a low whistle as pink smoke was released at high speed from the hemispherical line where the two halves of the egg met. As the smoke washed over them, Shin watched in horror as the egg split open, pink smoke still rising from inside the two halves, to reveal... nothing. Babidi and Dabura, previously so excited about their success, could only gape, stating horrified, "It's empty..."

_-Wanting, letting go, of what never could be again-_

"But... how?" Babidi muttered to himself, feeling numb from shock. "I did everything correctly... Followed every step... Said every word... Come out," he pleaded, "Yes, come out and destroy them all Buu! We're all waiting."

The Supreme Kai burst into hysterical, delirious, and highly relieved laughter; he even had to resist the urge to dance joyously. Recovering himself, he turned to Babidi, commenting, "To think I'd see the great wizard reduced to tears! All your efforts for nothing. You've made a fatal mistake Babidi. Just like your father, fooled by overconfidence, underestimated your opponents, and so this Earthling has destroyed your sacred Buu!" Conveniently, Shin chose to forget that he, too, had underestimated them.

_-Lost and alone, imprisoned now inside your mind-_

"No Supreme Kai," Gohan commented slowly. "I didn't." When Shin turned to him with a shocked look on his face, and a good deal of fear in his eyes, Gohan continued, "My last attack still wasn't enough to destroy the energy I felt in there. There's something-" He cut himself off, casting his gaze upwards quickly, and staring fearfully at the pink smoke cloud above them all; the same pink smoke that had escaped Buu's egg.

"But, I don't sense anything Gohan!" Shin replied, likewise looking upwards.

_-With the way you tried, to destroy me again-_

"Dabura, what is the boy looking at?" Babidi asked, following their gaze.

"Clouds," Dabura replied in a bored tone. "No, it's some kind of smoke. I can't feel anything from it but... emptiness." Despite Dabura's words, the clouds began to spiral around, almost as if a tornado was forming, as the pink smoke began to be sucked inwards.

_-You were waiting and living for no one-_

"Whoa, what was that?" Videl asked wondrously, gazing westward as if she thought she'd see something.

"Feels like Gohan went all out there," Kat replied.

"No, not that," the human girl corrected, "The thing that appeared after."

"Oh, that." With a shrug, the redheaded catgirl replied, "That's probably bad news."

_-With the way you tried, to completely refuse all your life -_

A pillar of translucent blue light appeared, the voice preceding the body. "So I guess this would be a good time for preparations to be completed then?" Avarrdo asked rhetorically.

"I imagine it would also be a good time for us to return." Kellre commented, as he and his younger brother landed on the edge of the group, the older man holding a sack full of something over his shoulder. Handing the bag to Bulma, he added, "All seven Dragon Balls have been collected. The Dragon Radar is inside the bag."

April sighed. "I guess we better get going then huh?"

_-Feed on your nothing, you'll never live up to me-_

"Are you sure you don't wanna come with us?" Bulma asked. "We're heading back to Capsule Corp to summon the dragon."

Raene smiled, though the gesture seemed a little forced. "Sorry Bulma, not this time. I hope you'll understand that we've got to look after ourselves first. Our race has faced extinction once before, and if that power we felt is any sign, it may well be again."

"Can we come with you?" Falcon asked. When the woman looked at her, torn between shock and amusement, the human girl continued, "It's just that, well, no offence to the others but I think we'd all feel safer with you guys." The rest of the Club Chaos gang nodded.

Truniz smiled. "Sure, the more the merrier."

_-Awaken you, with little evil inside-_

"You comin' too 'Del?" Kat asked.

Videl shook her head. "Sorry. I really wanna see this dragon thing."

Kat shrugged. "Suit yourself." Running up to the rest of the group, which had all assembled around Avarrdo, she added, "See ya later. And if the Earth gets destroyed, well, I'll see you much later." With that, the group disappeared in another pillar of translucent blue light.

_-Feed on your nothing, you'll never live up to me-_

In the silence that followed, Videl commented, "Well, that was a little pessimistic."

Yamcha shook his head. "No. Just a little too realistic."

_-I've stricken you, I want to live with the lie-_

What formed from the smoke was not what Gohan expected; hell, the teen was willing to bet that no one, bar possibly the Supreme Kai, could have known that _this_ was Majin Buu. Having seen his fair share of planet destroying monstrosities, based on the Supreme Kai's stories he had expected a ten-foot tall killing machine with fire in it's eyes, hell bent on death and destruction.

Instead, what they got was a six to seven foot tall pudgy pink thing, looking teardrop shaped, with some sort of tail on it's head, a big happy grin on it's face, and eyes that looked like they were permanently squinted tight in an eternal expression of amusement. It's lower half had some sort of baggy white pants on, an oversize novelty belt with the Majin 'M' on the buckle, and black leggings ending with festive yellow boots. On it's top half it had similarly festive yellow boxing gloves, an open black-with-yellow-trim vest, and, of all things, a purple bed sheet tied around it's neck like a cape. All in all, it looked completely ridiculous.

_-Feed on your nothing and you'll never live up to me-_

From the horrified look on Shin's face, it was assumed by all that this _was_ in fact Majin Buu, as the Supreme Kai was the only living being to have seen Buu before. Watching Buu seem to be playing around with the ranting Babidi, walking around like a child taking it's first steps, sticking it's tongue out and whatnot, Gohan had to ask, "Is that really Majin Buu?"

"Yes, that's Bibidi's creation without a doubt," Shin replied tensely, "I could never forget that disgusting creature's face." He sighed. "I'm sorry Gohan, it wasn't meant to be this way. I was confident I could stop Babidi before Buu was revived. If only I'd paid more attention to this part of the universe, the other method may have worked."

_-Awaken you-_

"What other method?"

Shin shook his head, "It doesn't matter now. With any luck, Babidi is going to lose control of Buu and be forced to seal him up again, giving someone the chance to defeat him before Buu can be released once more, but I'm afraid that someone will not be us, as we will no doubt be the first ones to perish."

_-Ooh no, can't live up to me-_

The two duelling Saiyan warriors stared each other down, panting harshly from exhaustion. Growling, Vegeta charged towards Goku once more, but, sensing something, the younger fighter quickly raised his hand, shouting, "Hey! Wait a second!" Vegeta stopped on a dime. "I just felt a tremendous surge of energy. While we've been fighting each other that 'Buu' creature must've been hatched."

_-So, I've stricken you-_

Taking a moment to examine the power he felt as he calmly floated down to land, Vegeta threw his head back as he burst into hysterical laughter. "It's as I thought," he commented, calm now, "There's nothing to worry about Kakarott. This Majin Buu has been revealed as a weakling; at least by the measuring bar you and I have set." When Goku just continued to stare vacantly at him, Vegeta barked, "Is it too hard to understand clown? The Saiyan race has evolved since that creature was entrapped."

_-Ooh, can't live up to me-_

Clenching his fist, Vegeta continued, "Think of what the Supreme Kai said: he's been _constantly_ surprised by our strength; on Babidi's ship we conquered what were supposed to be the strongest fighters in the universe, and we barely broke a sweat! Think about it Kakarott. We Saiyans have taken a ruling place in the universe that even its greatest overseer couldn't predict. And Majin Buu may have ruled in his time but now he's sorely outclassed."

"You're... wrong," Goku replied fearfully, "I can feel something deeper inside him!"

_-There isn't a thing that I can do-_

"Enough of your feelings!" Vegeta shouted angrily. "You're just stalling because you know I'm going to beat you!"

"No Vegeta. I know you can sense the same thing," Goku replied. "You're just too proud to admit it." There was another surge in power, and both Saiyans glanced in the direction it came from. "You _had_ to have felt _that_ one Vegeta. I don't think we can take this guy for granted. Not any more."

"Enough!" Vegeta roared, lunging towards him again.

_-Watching this whole thing just wash away-_

Grabbing the Saiyan Prince's wrists, Goku barked, "We don't have any time for this now Vegeta! We're the one's who let Buu out of his shell; it's because of us!"

"Buu is just a sideshow; you are my only concern!" Vegeta growled.

"Everyone on Earth will be killed, you hear me!" Goku shouted, "Bulma, Trunks, everyone!"

_-Making me long-_

"Shut up!" Vegeta shouted, kneeing Goku in the stomach to free his hands, before clasping them together and slamming them into Goku's head. "Shut! Up! Remember I've sold my soul to Babidi!" Vegeta roared, lashing out at Goku, who dodged the flurry. "I keep no loyalties! I have a Saiyan heart that depends on strength alone! They're NOTHING to me!"

As Vegeta's attack swung in, Goku grabbed his wrist, barking, "LIAR! I don't buy it!" He punctuated his remark with a cross to the face, dropping Vegeta like a stone. "Talk all you want Vegeta, but you better convince _yourself_ of it first."

_-There isn't a thing that I can do-_

Climbing to his feet, Vegeta calmly spat out a small collection of blood from Goku's last attack, wiping his mouth with his glove. "Fine. You win" He smirked a little, before looking away towards where they sensed Majin Buu. "Our fight is postponed. I want you at your fullest when we fight, and you're obviously distracted by that ridiculous 'Buu'." When Goku's face broke into a smile, he walked towards him, stating, "Well don't just stand there, get out your senzu beans. We should be at full power when we face him."

When Goku turned away and began fiddling with the pouch, the smirk on Vegeta's face slipped to a more neutral mask. Still smiling, Goku commented, "With all of us working together I'm sure we can beat this guy." He never saw the blow to the back of the head coming, but he sure felt it as he fell to the ground, moments before passing out and dropping out of Super Saiyan entirely. The bad of senzu beams fell from his hand, a single bean spilling out.

_-Watching this whole thing just wash away-_

"So Kakarott, even you can prove helpless when you drop your guard," Vegeta commented to himself, picking up the spilled bean and consuming it. Shouting as he felt his energy restore, Vegeta mused to himself, 'I'll take care of this Buu myself. The last thing I need is for this clown to play hero again and dangle it over my head.' Turning to face the fallen Saiyan, he commented, "We'll finish this fight when I return Kakarott. Enjoy your sleep. And should your time run out before I'm done..." he trained off, laughing a bit, before adding, "Then we'll have to continue this _another_ day... When I see you in **Hell**!"

_-Making me long-_

Fed up with how Buu was treating him, Babidi shouted, "Listen to me Buu! I'm well versed in all my father's incantations. I could put you back in your ball with a _phrase_ if you'd like..."

This barely veiled threat seemed to get through to the pink monstrosity, which then bowed a couple of times, exclaiming cheerfully, "You the master, you!"

"Yes, this arrangement will work nicely," Babidi commented, before ordering, "Now go destroy those two over there!" Majin Buu just continued to look at him blankly.

_-Making you strong-_

"Supreme Kai, Buu's definitely strong, but maybe he wouldn't be so destructive if we took Babidi out of the picture," Gohan commented after some thought.

"No Gohan, I'm afraid that's the exact opposite of what we need to do." Shin replied. "Buu may not look it, but it has a deep seated need for destruction, and Babidi is the only living person who knows how to seal him up again; without him we'd be doomed."

Giving him an odd look, Gohan commented, "Are we doomed _anyway_?"

_-Awaken you, with little evil inside-_

"A pity," Dabura stated. "For all his vaunted abilities, Majin Buu is nothing but an idiot and a waste." Buu glanced over at the Demon King, a neutral look on its face. Dabura smirked, asking in a mock-sympathetic tone, "Oh, what's wrong? Do you have a _problem_ with what I've said?" Buu proceeded to dance around happily, chanting "Pow" and "Ow" alternatively, before stopping in front of Dabura with a content little smile on its face. "A shame. He's not even aware enough to know he's outmatched." Dabura remarked confidently. "Run along Buu, or shall I turn you into stone?"

Buu just smiled.

_-Feed on your nothing, you'll never live up to me-_

"Are you just going to stamp 'dead' on your forehead?" Gohan shouted at the Kai. His attention was drawn back to Buu again as the pink creature laid Dabura out, first with a punch to the eyes, blinding him, then a slap to the side of the head, sending him crashing into one of the few remaining mountains. 'Amazing! It's like he tapped into a well of energy that doesn't end!' Gritting his teeth, he growled, "Time to see what it can do!"

Ignoring the Supreme Kai's shouted warning, Gohan blasted towards Buu, the wind of his approach sending the unprepared Babidi flying. Charging ki into his fists, Gohan began laying into Buu with everything he could musted, only to watch in horror as the being just stood their and took it. Growling, he formed a circular blade of ki, like one of Krillin's Destructo Disks, and used it to sever Majin Buu's head.

_-I've stricken you, I want to live with the lie-_

Gohan was suitably shocked when the severed head stuck its tongue out at him. Fighting back a frightened gasp, Gohan charged a ball of ki and planted it inside Buu's mouth, blowing up the severed head before racing over to Shin and grabbing his arm. "Come on, it's time to leave," he stated quickly. Turning back to Buu, he vaguely noticed Babidi fighting to get his cape from covering his face, but most of his attention was drawn to the fact that Buu was pulling a new head from between his shoulders. Feeling a sense of deja vu, he commented, "You know, I blame Cell for setting this precedent." Still holding onto Shin's arm, Gohan blasted off at high speed.

_-Feed on your nothing and you'll never live up to me-_

By the time Babidi got over his wardrobe malfunction, Buu had fully reformed from Gohan's beating. "Hey, what are you standing around for? You're letting them get away!" Babidi shouted. Putting one leg forward, Buu leaned in the direction the other two had fled, before taking off like a rocket, kicking up a cloud of dust. Coughing violently as the dust cleared, Babidi commented, "I sure hope he comes back."

_-Ooh, can't live up to me-_

"I'm pretty confident about my speed," Gohan stated. Turning his head back, Gohan added, "It doesn't look like anyone's behind us yet." By the time he'd turned forward again, he was forced to come to an abrupt halt, as floating right in front of him, sticking it's tongue out at him again, was Majin Buu. "How...?"

Gohan was never given the chance to finish that thought.

_-Feed on your nothing, you'll never live up to me-_

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

There was so much dead air I had to cut when I was writing this chapter... Ah well, at least it's done.


	26. D04: Avarice

--- Disturbance, Book 2: Divergence ---

Chapter D04 - Avarice

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-Politics and evil-_

Floating in front of the fleeing Gohan and Shin, Majin Buu dragged it's tongue back into it's mouth, a childish grin of amusement slapped across it's putty like features. With a loud exclamation of "You drop dead!" Majin Buu reared a hand back, slamming the stunned Gohan in the head before the Super Saiyan teen could react, and sending him careening into the ground, kicking up a massive dust cloud.

Staring in horror at the pudgy pink monster that had laid out Gohan in a single hit, the Supreme Kai began slowly floating backwards, but Buu floated forwards at the same speed, keeping them the same distance apart; namely, within striking distance. Laughing as he observed the two in the sky, Babidi shouted gleefully, "Yes! Now torture him Majin Buu! Make that purple rat scared like a baby!"

_-All one in the same-_

Still slowly floating backwards, Shin cast a fearful eye at Gohan's fallen form, the golden-haired teen finally pulling himself up again, still quite worn out from his fight with Dabura; he'd had to fight in base Super Saiyan against a stronger opponent for too long, it seemed. Buu's excited whoop drew his attention again, the pink monstrosity's gut bulging in his direction. In an effort to stall, he asked, "Do you remember me Buu?" When no reply was forthcoming he thrust his hand forward, letting out an echoing shout as a massive gust of wind created caused the fat blob of a creature to tip backwards.

As the wind died down, Buu's case and vest flapping for a moment before settling, it became obvious that this was all the wind had done, Buu righting himself again and shaking like a bowl of jelly before settling back to normal, his cheerful grin still present. His eyes opened into angry slits and his teeth bared, however, as his mood swiftly changed, and he swung his hands forward, trapping the Supreme Kai's head between them in a mockery of a clap.

_-Satan hides behind a different name-_

When Buu removed his hands, the Supreme Kai's face had a distinct concave shape, purple blood trickling from his lips, and more coming out when he coughed. Buu, however, wasn't finished yet; raising one hand, and closing the festive yellow glove into a fist, he chirped, "Down, down!" and clubbed the Supreme Kai on the top of his head, sending the other planar being crashing into the earth with another dust cloud. Satisfied, Buu began alternatively chanting "Ow" and "Pow" childishly again.

Roaring in anger as he blasted back out of the dust, Shin stopped on a dime before Buu, throwing his hands forward so they met at the wrist and began charging energy. With a rising shout, the energy was released at point blank range, creating a blinding pink sphere that encompassed Buu's form. When the light faded, however, Majin Buu was perfectly fine, albeit knocked back a dozen metres or so.

"It's... no use," he stammered fearfully, watching the humming Buu carefully; not carefully enough, it seemed, as before he could react Majin Buu sent him flying downwards with a massive headbutt.

_-Take these chains away-_

"He's... getting butchered," the observing Gohan commented slowly; that hit had hurt, and the landing was no softer.

When the Supreme Kai's form impacted with one of the increasingly few mountains, Babidi cackled, "Oh ho Buu, you are a beauty! Yes! YES!"

Focusing his energy, Gohan sent the rocks pinning him flying with a burst of golden energy. Staggering to his feet, Gohan stated determinedly through grit teeth, "I'm not letting you down..."

_-Free my hands from bondage-_

"You broke'd! Drop dead! Nya-nya! Buu has win!" The pink monster cheered excitedly to itself, as Shin dug himself out of the rubble-filled crater his landing had made. Noticing the purple being's success, Buu cried, "Hello! You back!" He dropped down to the ground, landing near the Kai, before exclaiming, "I drop you down! You hit dead! Now you back I drop you more!" He finished his bout of laughter with a growl.

The battered Kai dragged himself upright, glaring hate at Buu, barking, "You stop this!" Clamping his eyes shut and clenching his fists, he began focusing his power.

Buu remained unphased, however, striding forward confidently, his feet digging little holes, as he repeated "No stop" over and over again.

Opening his eyes and letting out a echoing shout through his grit teeth, Shin's eyes glowed a brilliant blue, the discharged energy knocking Buu off it's feet and sending it tilting backwards through the air. However, like both attempts before it, Buu simply righted itself again when the wind died, completely unharmed and laughing gleefully. Grinning broadly, Buu cried, "Me try!"

_-Can't explain away-_

The pudgy pink terror's eyes opened from their usual perpetual squinted state, and began glowing pink as Buu copied the Supreme Kai's technique. Screaming in horror and pain from the energy discharge, the Kai was sent flying backwards at high speed, before crash landing right next to Babidi.

Coughing a bit as the dust settled back down again, Babidi cast a curious eye over the fallen Kai, before taunting, "Well, what do we have here? Has the rat Kai come back so soon? That's funny!" Striding confidently over to the injured purple man, he laughed, "And I thought you were running away." Prodding him with his foot, he added, "Oh look, you seem to be in a great amount of pain. Oh, what a terrible misfortune!"

Babidi's taunts were cut off by a loud cry of "BUU!" that was getting closer quickly. Casting his gaze upwards, the wizard saw his father's creation fast approaching, and he dived out of the way as Majin Buu landed ass-first on the Supreme Kai's back; by the sound his landing made, and from the pained cry wrenched from Shin's mouth, Majin Buu landed quite heavily.

When Shin's cry tapered off Buu climbed off him, as Babidi strode back and taunted, "What's going on here Kai? You taking a nap on the job? I don't know how a guy like you got so high up on the food chain!" Shin struggled to get upright again, but his strength left him, and the mohawk'd being flopped back onto the dirt. "He's out folks," Babidi cackled, "Can't go another inch. Maybe I should be polite and give him a mercy killing."

Again Babidi was cut off by an approaching cry, but this time the cry came from the fast approaching Gohan, the Super Saiyan teen sending Buu flying with a kick to the side of the head, before landing where Buu had been next to the Supreme Kai. Babidi took off running, but Gohan paid him no mind, turning to the injured Kai and saying, "It's me Supreme Kai. Let's get out of here." Shin managed to gather the energy to turn back and smile at him.

"Darn it! Mocking him was just getting fun!" Babidi growled.

_-Avarice will kill you in time-_

With a curious noise, Majin Buu, currently balanced on one leg a fair distance away, began cartwheeling back towards Gohan, leaping off the ground metres away and landing on both feet, a satisfied noise escaping it's lips as the side of it's head reinflated with a pop. Buu took a moment to laugh hootingly at the stunned Super Saiyan, before glaring at him, his eyes and teeth becoming visible, as he held his hands before him. "You a big pest. You leave!"

With a growl, Gohan charged towards him, moments before Shin shouted, "Watch out for his blast!" It was too late. With a shout, a wave of green energy blasted forward, engulfing Gohan for a second before forming into a large ball upon which the teen was sprawled. As the green ball carried Gohan far away, beginning to ascend, Shin commented painfully, "He'll die!"

Babidi burst into laughter again. "And that's the end of you! You're headed straight into outer space!"

Shin forced himself up, gathering all his energy as he willed his body onto his hands, turning his head to face the ball that carried Gohan away. With a pained grunt, Shin's eyes briefly glowed blue, and the giant green energy ball exploded, Gohan's lifeless body tumbling down into some woodlands far away. 'Stay down Gohan,' the Kai willed, 'They w-won't... f-find you...' His strength leaving him, he collapsed again.

"Hey," Babidi commented curiously, "You didn't do something tricky now did you?"

Even had he the strength to do so, Shin wouldn't have replied. 'You _have_ to keep living Gohan. You could be our best hope.'

_-Violent upheaval-_

"Is everyone settled?"

Truniz saluted his brother semi-sarcastically, replying, "Aye aye Cap'n. The entire city has been stowed aboard, all crew are present and accounted for, and our guests have been shown to their quarters."

Kellre ignored his younger brother's antics; at least he knew where Pi got it from. "Good. We'll break through the atmosphere in thirty seconds, and have achieved geosynchronous orbit within three minutes."

"Hey, I got a question," Kat interjected. "We have an entire city full of Saiyans on board right? Why aren't we all off fighting this Buu thing?"

Avarrdo fielded the question. "Because, young Kat, less than a hundredth of a percent of the population has ascended, and of that fraction of a percent, at most a hundredth of a percent of _them_ have breached the second level, but even then, no one has been recorded consistently reaching the power output required for such a task. Goku, Gohan and Vegeta are our three strongest warriors, and if they have fallen to Majin Buu, there is nothing we can do; fighting him would only result in death."

"But that wouldn't stop them," Kat pointed out. "How did you get them to agree to the retreat?"

Kellre shrugged. "We didn't. As far as the population of the city is concerned, this is just a drill. There have been instabilities in the planet recorded, and until we can ascertain the true danger, if there is any, of this instability, the entire city has been evacuated via proper procedure and relocated to a safe location."

Avarrdo continued before the young redhead could comment. "It is the primary role of the Council to take whatever measures are necessary to prolong the survival of the Saiyan race, even if that means taking actions that leave a bitter taste in our mouths."

Kat blinked, previous question forgotten. "You guys are on the Council?"

Avarrdo gave her a level stare. "It's the Council of Learned Elders; of course we're on it."

Turning to his console, Kellre mused, "Now, let's see if we can find the others..."

_-Cities drenched in flame-_

"What a wonderful day this is!" Babidi cackled to the fallen Kai, "Now, I fully plan to rip you into pieces, but let me first say 'thank you'; after all, if it weren't for all the incredibly strong fighters you brought me I wouldn't have been able to bring Majin Buu back to life." Sobering up, he continued, "Normally I'd let one of my slaves do the dirty work, but to show you my appreciation I think I'll kill you myself! See what a marvellous circle this is? You kill my father and now I kill you!"

As Babidi reached for him, the Supreme Kai began grunting, either in effort or pain. "Eh, forget the circle," the wizard muttered sourly. "Hey Buu, what do you say you finish off this rat for me like you were supposed to do in the first place?" The pink monster didn't reply. Growing angry, Babidi shouted, "Buu! I'm ordering!"

"Ooh, ordering," Buu muttered, it's stomach growling loudly; well, what passed for a stomach anyway. Turning back to the wizard, Buu stated cheerfully, "I have hungry now. Buu eat him now yes?"

Babidi blinked a few times, before his face broke into a brilliant smile. "That's just terrific. Eating him up! What an appropriate end, lost in your belly. Yes; what are you waiting for Buu? Eat every single bit of him. Don't even let a strand of his hair escape your gorgeous stomach."

Buu erupted into gleeful laughter, bending over the Kai slightly, but before he could do anything, a wicked looking spear erupted from his stomach; had it not stopped inside Majin Buu, it would have speared Babidi through the head. Babidi gaped in shock, taking a few steps back and exclaiming, "What in the world is that thing?" Looking behind Buu, the wizard could see a haggard Dabura, covered in dirt and his own purple blood, panting harshly, still standing in post-throw position. "Dabura, have you gone absolutely insane over there?" Babidi shouted, "I just hope for your own sake you were aiming that spear at the Kai!"

_-Wickedness we know we can contain-_

Two golden comets soared through the air; said comets being comprised of the Super Saiyan forms of Trunks and Goten. Looking around their surroundings a bit, Trunks observed, "We must be getting close now. That weird feeling's stronger than ever."

"It makes my stomach feel funny," Goten commented.

Spotting something, Trunks exclaimed, "Look Goten, there they are straight ahead!" Three dots were visible on the ground a long way ahead of them; fortunately, they both had good eyesight, so they could make out that said three dots were three people of varying heights. "Landing time!" Trunks shouted, Goten signalling his agreement before the two dived down to one of the bordering mountains.

After they'd landed, their aura's burning out, Trunks suggested, "Hey Goten, let's rest from being Super Saiyans and try to find 'em like we're secret agents." The younger boy nodded his agreement, and the two faded from Super Saiyan, creeping forward to peer over the ledge they'd landed on. "Mysterious," Trunks commented, "I don't know _any_ of the guys down there."

"Wait, isn't that Mister Shin there on the ground?" Goten asked.

"Mister who?"

"Shin." Goten replied. "I saw my brother talk to him at the tournament."

"Oh yeah, that's right," Trunks nodded. "He looks pretty torn up. I wonder if he's done for."

After a few moments of thought, Goten asked, "Which do you think is the Buu monster? The red guy or the pink guy?"

"The pink one," a female voice behind them declared. Turning around, they noticed Oran and Lime standing there, the former with his arms crossed. Neither boy asked how they'd managed to sneak up on them; that'd force them to admit they'd been caught unaware

"Are you sure?" Trunks asked, "It's kinda hard to tell when we're this far away."

Oran smirked, "So then, you think you're brave enough to get closer?" Before either of the boys could reply Oran had vaulted over the edge, his sister trailing after him. Spluttering, Trunks jumped after him, with Goten bringing up the rear. The four kids let gravity do most of the work, using their ki to soften the landing as they jumped from ledge to ledge, until they reached the very edge of the mountain they were on; any further, and the only place they could go would be to ground level.

Looking over the edge, they noticed a tiny man jumping up and down in rage, spluttering, "Argh, of all the stupid, mindless..."

_-Take these chains away-_

Leaning back, the four kids sat cross-legged on the ledge, Trunks exclaiming, "Man, I don't understand any of this. If all the bad guys are over here then where did everybody else go?"

"I dunno," Goten said reflexively, before looking up and spying something. "Uh, could that be them?"

Turning around, Lime commented, "Well, it _looks_ like a person."

"Then, let's go and check it out," Oran suggested. That decided, the four kids started climbing up towards the ledge; well, Goten and Trunks climbed, eventually running up the cliff, while Oran and Lime jumped up a series of ledges to get there, arriving shortly after the two boys.

What they found there was quite surprising. Gaping slightly, Goten chirped, "It's Piccolo!"

"I see, it's just a statue of him," Trunks commented, breathing a sigh of relief. "That scared me for a second." The two boys began examining the statue; a poke here, a prod there, a tap somewhere else. "Whoever did this was really good. It looks just like him. They even got his cape."

Looking around a bit, Lime pointed to a lower ledge and stated, "Hey guys, it looks like there's a statue of Krillin too."

"Well, that's weird," Trunks commented, punching the Piccolo statue lightly; as it turned out, it wasn't light enough, as the statue fell forward, shattering on impact, much to the boy's horror. "Uh oh, whoopsie."

"Trunks, that looked expensive!" Goten chided.

Oran looked over the edge towards the guys down below as the other three ran over to check. "Do you think they heard us?" Trunks asked fearfully.

Oran shrugged, "Doesn't look like it."

"Phew," Trunks sighed, "Good, I thought I was gonna get in trouble."

"You still broke it," Lime commented.

_-Free my hands from bondage-_

Babidi twitched with barely repressed rage, glaring at Dabura as the exhausted Demon King staggered towards him. "Babidi," he breathed roughly, regaining more strength as he approached, "Don't be such a fool. This Majin Buu creature is far too powerful to be kept under your control for long. If he's allowed to keep reaching into his power, it will only be a matter of time before he destroys you." Growling, Babidi cast an eye at the speared Buu, before Dabura shouted, "Make the best decision of your life and help me crush him while we can!"

"Dabura, Dabura, Dabura, DABURA, ARE YOU CRAZY?" Babidi shrieked, the force of his yell actually lifting his tiny body off the ground. At Dabura's shocked gasp he screeched, "There is no 'us' anymore, don't you understand? He has been my life's ambition and now that he's here you are nothing!"

"Master Babidi..." Dabura commented pitifully.

Tears in his eyes, Babidi growled, "And you hurt him." As if purely to spite Babidi's words, Majin Buu took a firm grip on the spear sticking out of his stomach, and yanked it out with an audible pop, much to the other's shock. Looking him over as the pink monster carelessly hurled the spear way, Babidi asked, "Majin Buu, do you think you'll be okay?" The answer to his question was obvious, as the hole in Buu began shrinking quickly until it was like he was never damaged; even his cape was whole again.

"What _is_ this thing?" Dabura cried.

Babidi burst into more hysterical laughter. "Yes! It's incredible! My father _was_ a genius wizard just like I've always said!"

Dabura just gaped in shock as Buu glared at his, his eyes opening as he commented, "Now new plan. Now I eat _you_!"

_-Can't explain away-_

"Let's see," Vegeta mused to himself, staring at the circular portal that lead to the next level in Babidi's ship; the magic that had transported them to this wasteland made sure they were still linked to the ship, otherwise the energy they lost would not go towards resurrecting Majin Buu. "The fastest way for me to get into Babidi's space ship might be for me to smash through the top. But it might be easier just to destroy the _whole ship_, and go in after Majin Buu instead. Then if I catch him off guard I've got him; I hope."

He growled slightly to himself. "I can sense it; Kakarott's son is gone." Looking skyward, he commented sadly, "Cellotto, I'm sorry. I guess that's two debts I owe you now." It was his pride that had prevented him from joining the fight, and now his pride had cost Gohan his life. He turned back to his rival. "Kakarott..." He said nothing more, though the words were on his lips, instead turning back to the portal and igniting his aura.

It was time.

_-Avarice will kill you in time-_

Dabura gaped in shock as Buu's declaration of 'I eat you' echoed in his mind. "What?" the demon growled, "You wouldn't dare!"

The two stared one another down for a moment, the wind blowing their respective capes, before, when said wind died down, Buu performed a brief dance before ending balanced on one leg with a cry of "Buu!" As Dabura growled Buu began taking massive hopping strides forward, leaping onto one leg and bouncing a little, before leaping onto the other leg, and so on. With each step, he announced cheerfully, "Me eat you up!"

"Oh what fun," Babidi commented to himself, "Majin Buu is going to take care of _everything_ for me now."

Fed up with the pink thing, Dabura shouted, "I'll show you!" Rearing back, he drove his fist into Buu's face, launching into a series of punishing punches to the pudgy pink monstrosity. With a roar, he delivered a finishing kick, sending Buu skyward bound, before launching up after it and stopping it cold with a second kick, before clenching his hands and bashing it over the head, sending it down into possible the only remaining spire in the entire clearing.

"Oh no! Majin Buu!" Babidi shouted in fear.

Dabura landed calmly a few metres away from him, also facing the crash site. "Good riddance."

A sudden explosion of dirt proceeded Majin Buu's form catapulting through the air, flipping a few times before it landed feet first on the ground in a bow. As Babidi, his mood swiftly switching gain, cheered him on, Buu performed a victory dance, before resuming his 'Me eat you up' marching chant. Growling ferociously, Dabura began glowing red, as he floated upwards.

_-Who will we murder now?-_

"That guy looks pretty scary when he gets mad doesn't he?" Trunks commented casually.

Lime shrugged, "You should see Kaen when he gets worked up."

_-See what we are becoming-_

Halting his ascent, Dabura aimed the palm of one hand at Buu, the red glow that was his aura still around him. "This will finish you off." An orange ki ball pulsed into life in his hand, a second overlapping it, and then a third, the colour deepening each time. With a roar, the Demon King fired wave after wave of blasts at the pudgy monster, too many to count, kicking up enough dust, still glowing from the explosions within, to blanket the area. Halting the flow, he landed slowly next to the stunned Babidi, falling to one knee and panting from exhaustion. Strength recovered, he climbed back to his feet, commenting, "What do you think of your pet _now_ Babidi?"

Before the wizard could reply, a sound could be heard from inside the massive dust cloud; the continued chant of "Me eat you up." Ignoring Babidi's hysterical cackling and blind worship of his new toy, Dabura leapt towards Majin Buu, roaring as he approached, before spitting at him twice. Buu calmly dodged the two projectiles, however, and before Dabura could react he declared, "Turn into a cookie!" The tip of the tail on his head began glowing purple, and it flicked forward, firing an electrical-looking wave at the floating Dabura, the violet energy engulfing him.

The onlookers gaped in awe (in Babidi's case) or fear (in the case of the kids) as Dabura let out a pain-filled roar. His arms, it could be seen, were forced straight by the energy, as were his legs, his mouth was forced closed, and his eyes forced into a relaxed position; even his cape was forced straight. Once Dabura was statue-still, he seemed to explode into a cloud of smoke, which soon parted to reveal a giant Chibi-Dabura biscuit, which fell towards the ground; Majin Buu caught it before it could hit, and, despite it being about as big as his ass was wide, he jammed the entire thing into his mouth.

The kids could only gape in horror as the pink thing ate the giant biscuit that had once been a person. "Oh beautiful!" Babidi declared, "Well done Majin Buu! What a tasty performance!"

_-An onyx veil that filters out the light-_

"I don't believe it," Goten commented dazedly, as the four kids sat up away from the cliff edge. "He ate him."

Trunks just nodded his head slowly. Out of the corner of her eye, Lime noticed what looked like steam rising off the Krillin statue nearby, as it began changing from grey to colour. "Look!" She exclaimed, "It's actually Krillin!"

Looking up at the voice, Krillin remarked, "Hey, what're you guys doing here?" The four kids jumped down to greet the short monk; well, to them he was about the same height, but that was short for an adult. "What happened?" He asked. "I don't remember a thing."

"You don't?" Goten exclaimed.

"Somebody turned you into a stone statue," Oran remarked.

"That's right! I remember now," Krillin replied, "It was that Dabura guy's spit. It turned me to stone; I couldn't move! What a creep!" Examining himself quickly, he added, "Well, looks like I'm okay now."

"He must be talking about the guy who just got eaten up," Goten commented, as if it wasn't obvious.

"Well duh!" Trunks replied, "I'll bet his powers wore off when he got turned into a cookie. That's why Krillin's back to..." He trailed off as he suddenly realised something, and he looked like he'd seen a ghost; actually, scratch that, he looked like he'd been told he'd have to eat his mother's cooking for a month. "Oh no, you know what that means?"

"What's wrong Trunks?" Krillin asked, concerned for the young boy.

Trunks didn't respond, instead slowly flying up to the ledge above, Oran following after him. "Oh, I know," Lime replied calmly. "Trunks knocked over Piccolo's statue and broke him."

_-I'll savour this anger-_

Cresting the ridge, Trunks stared in horror at the sight that lay before him. Behind him, Oran made the typical whistle-then-boom noise one associates with bombs being dropped. "Man, what a mess," the older boy commented. Terror stilling his tongue, Trunks shot back down to the ledge the others stood on, not noticing the smirk Oran bore.

"Is he there?" Goten asked curiously.

"Uh... You don't wanna go up there," Trunks replied slowly.

"Trunks, what is it?" Krillin prompted.

The lavender-haired child continued to sweat bullets. "Please, we've gotta keep this a secret, okay?"

"Keep what a secret?" a deep, bass voice boomed from behind him. Straightening up in shock, Trunks spun around and looked up, finding Piccolo smirking down at him, a very pleased look on his face at the young boy's expression. That satisfied look lasted until his senses noticed the massive power in the valley. Quickly laying down on the cliff looking over the edge, he asked, "What in the world is giving off all that terrible energy?" He gasped at the sight of the pink thing. "Is that thing, Majin Buu?"

Climbing up to crouch next to him, Trunks had to ask, "Hey Piccolo, how did you get back to normal?"

Oran answered for him. "Nameks can regenerate as long as their head's intact."

"Enough about that, what's been going on around here? Where are Goku and the others?" Piccolo barked.

_-My hate makes me stronger-_

"Goku and Vegeta are beating the shit out of each other up north somewhere," Lime replied 'helpfully', "Or at least they were; being near this 'Buu' thing is messing up my ki sense."

"Hey, you mean that pink guy down there?" Krillin asked. "Is that Majin Buu?"

Oran shrugged. "Seems that way."

"Well, he doesn't seem very tough," Krillin commented, clearly lying through his teeth, "So, if it's alright with you guys I think I wanna go home right now."

"AH! Is that the Supreme Kai down there?" Piccolo cried out, moving to go help him.

"Hey, relax big guy!" Oran exclaimed, "Don't do anything stupid now. You just got back to life; you don't wanna die again do you? We should at least wait for the others to get back here; they're surely on their way."

"Yeah, I bet my dad could beat him up!" Goten agreed. "He wouldn't let that stupid Buu turn _him_ into a cookie!"

"I guess you're right," Piccolo muttered, slightly weirded out that this child was being the voice of reason.

_-Free my hands from bondage-_

Majin Buu strode purposefully towards the fallen Kai, the sun behind him casting a huge shadow over the purple skinned being. "What should me turn you into?" Buu asked himself. "Chocolate, or cake?"

Babidi, for possibly the millionth time that day, burst into laughter. "He looks tasty! Why don't you do both? Go on now, eat him up!" Majin Buu leaned over the fallen Kai, his head-tail swinging forward to point at him, as purple energy again began gathering at its tip. However, before he could say the words that would seal the Supreme Kai's fate, there was a massive golden explosion behind Babidi. Spinning around, the wizard shouted, "What's that?"

The golden explosion expanded into a massive golden dome, completely enveloping Babidi, Shin and Buu, scorching the earth, and kicking up gale force winds. "What's going on down there?" Krillin shouted. Piccolo and the others just gaped in shock. The force of the wind was so strong, Babidi was wrenched from his feet, driven back into his pet Buu, and the injured Kai was swept up and carried away, rolling to a stop well out of sight of Babidi. Only Buu seemed unaffected, chuckling to himself.

Before too long the dome imploded on itself, before erupting out again with a massive cloud of thick black smoke. As the smoke began to clear Babidi climbed back to his feet, his cape over his head as he coughed and muttered, "Where am I? I can't see." Realising his eyes were covered, he threw his cape back again, and gaped in horror at what he found. "AH! My space ship! It's been blown up!" He screeched, staring at the massive smoke-filled crater that had once been his ship. "No! NO! No, my ship! Oh no, how could this happen!" Turning back to his father's creation he ordered, "Majin Buu, I want you to find out who did this!"

Buu just made a confirming sort of noise, gazing into the thick smoke as though it could see through it. Picking up something at the edge of his senses, Babidi commented, "Wait, someone's coming." Sure enough, a dark humanoid shape could be seen in the smoke, before descending to the ground and into the light, revealing spiky golden hair, and a tattered blue bodysuit. "Oh, it's Vegeta."

The prince smirked, chuckling to himself. "Yes."

_-Take these chains away-_

"DAD!" Trunks shouted excitedly, although not loud enough for the others to hear.

"I never thought I'd be glad to see him," Krillin remarked.

_-Running from destruction-_

Still stunned from the destruction of his ship, the shrivelled yellow wizard asked, "Vegeta, what are you doing here?" Vegeta just laughed. Suddenly realising what had gone down, Babidi shouted angrily, "Are you the one who blew up my space ship?"

"That's right," Vegeta replied mockingly, "It was a little messy, but it was the quickest way to get the job done. Most amusing way too."

"Why?" Babidi growled. "I never gave you an order to destroy my ship. Why did you do it?" Vegeta just laughed again. "You clumsy fool! Do you know what you've done? How am I supposed to get off this wretched planet?"

Vegeta paid him no mind, instead focusing his attention on the pink thing standing next to the wizard. "I assume that **ugly **_blob_ there is Majin Buu." His smirk slipped, becoming a scowl. "If so, you're the one that killed Gohan! He _will_ be avenged!"

_-Avarice will kill you in time-_

Piccolo gaped in horror; surely he couldn't have heard that right, could he? He collapsed to his knees as he stretched out his senses as far as he could, and felt the bottom of his stomach drop out at what he found; or rather, at what he didn't find. Gohan was gone.

"Piccolo, what is it? What did my dad say?" Trunks asked excitedly.

"It's... nothing you need concern yourself with," Oran remarked.

"Hey, how did you hear him?" Goten asked curiously.

The older boy shrugged. "Simple; I'm a full-blooded Saiyan. I don't have human genes dulling my senses. Now pay attention to the fight."

'Gohan...' Silently thanking the boy for changing the subject, Piccolo started growling softly to himself. One of the galaxy's greatest hopes was gone, and already the world felt that little bit darker with his absence. There would be a time to grieve later however; for now, they had to hope Vegeta had what it took to ensure they didn't join the fallen teen in his fate.

_-Kill you in time-_

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

And the losses begin. Sometimes, it honestly weirds me out how much I had to ramp up Buu's power level in this story to make things work the way I wanted, but, whatever.


	27. D05A: I'm Alive

--- Disturbance, Book 2: Divergence ---

Chapter D05-A - I'm Alive

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-Never again will I be dishonoured-_

Majin Buu took a few steps forward, until he was directly beside Babidi, before asking, "He say 'oogly'? What means that, 'oogly'?"

"He means your face would frighten small children; now be quiet!" Babidi snapped irritably, still quite angry about the fact that, thanks to Vegeta, he was now sans ship.

Buu chuckled gleefully to himself for a moment before the humour of the situation seemed to die, at which point his chubby face fell into a glare; however, as glares go, it looked more like a constipated fat kid trying to take a shit. Spreading it's legs, and clenching what passed for fists, Buu began bulging like an over-inflated balloon, before deflating again as a mass of steam vented from the holes on his head.

_-And never again will I be reminded-_

"What a strange creature," Vegeta grinned to himself.

The steam venting tapered off with a whistle. Pumping his fists into the air, Buu chanted, "Majin Buu mad! Pow! Pow! POW! Ow! Ow! OW!"

Turning away from his angry monster and towards the equally angry prince, Babidi stated in a deadly serious tone, "Vegeta, this is it." He turned back to Buu. "Get him! Show him what happens to people who dare to disobey me!" Quite happy with that task, Buu began pounding his gut and chanting his name.

_-Of living within the world of the jaded-_

"Great," Krillin whined, "Now why did Vegeta have to go and get him worked up like that?"

Lime smiled slightly, "Because he wouldn't be Vegeta if he didn't?"

Krillin ignored the girl. "This is gonna be rough."

"Not for my dad!" Trunks cried confidently. "He can do anything!"

"I hope so," Piccolo muttered quietly.

_-They kill inspiration-_

A smile coming to it's face, Buu held his hands up beside his face, his arms bent at a right angle so as to keep his forearms vertical. With a rising shout, Buu began to focus his power, as Babidi ran for his life. "Get him Majin Buu!" The diminutive wizard shouted, "Give him everything you've got!" Buu laughed coldly to itself.

Vegeta watched as tiny points of light began flickering around Majin Buu. Were it not for his self-control, he would have recoiled in shock as Buu's image flickered back and forth with Kakarott's for a moment. 'What was that?' He thought to himself frantically. The image returned, this time sticking, as Kakarott, or at least the image of him, burst into Super Saiyan. 'Kakarott? Is that clown playing tricks on me, or am I just seeing things?'

_-It's my obligation-_

The Saiyan Prince lost himself in his memories for a moment. 'Why is it that Kakarott haunts me so? Is it because he's always been one step ahead of me? Always succeeding where I have failed? First it was Frieza, defeating the tyrant that had held me in bondage my whole life. And then there was Cell. Noble Kakarott, giving his life for the lives of his friends... For _my_ life. Well no more! After all we've been through, it's _finally_ my turn! I'll settle this, so we can both rest in peace... Kakarott, when you wake up, this will all be over. I may be gone, but this planet will be safe. I'll stake my life on it!'

_-To never again, allow this to happen-_

With a roar, Vegeta flared his aura to life. "Okay Buu your time has come!" The proud Prince declared. "And you too Babidi! We End This HERE!" With a rising shout, Vegeta began drawing more and more of his energy to the fore, sending out a cone of wind towards Buu, the fat monster's body rippling like a disturbed body of water, as the planet itself shook. The force of the wind was so strong, even Majin Buu was forced to slide backwards, and the ground behind Vegeta splintered, raising large shards of rock around him.

_-Where do I begin?-_

"Alright! Check out my dad's power!" Trunks cheered.

"Yeah but, look at that Majin Buu," Krillin observed, "He's not exactly running scared."

Having the most in-depth knowledge of Vegeta of the people there, Piccolo commented, "I've... never seen him like this before."

_-The choices are endless-_

Roaring as his power reached its peak, Vegeta used his energy to send the jagged rocks floating around him at the pink monstrosity, burying him under them. This proved to be extremely temporary, as with a flare of it's own power, Majin Buu blew away not only the rocks, but also the gale force winds, and looked very satisfied in having done so. This satisfaction lasted right up until Vegeta rocketed forward and kneed him in the face, continuing past him and touching ground briefly before darting back and unleashing Hell upon him.

Punches and kicks came in rapid succession, almost too many to count, as Vegeta drove Buu backwards. Having had quite enough of that, the Prince dug his fist into Buu's ample gut, followed by a swift kick to the side of the head, and a left hook to the other side, sending the dazed Buu flying. He didn't get too far, as Vegeta grabbed his wrist, and sent him flying in the opposite direction with a spinning back kick.

_-Denying the sin-_

Babidi stared in horror as Buu skipped like a stone. "Oh Majin Buu, get up! Please!" The shrivelled wizard begged.

"Way to go dad! You got him! Go for it!" Trunks cheered excitedly.

_-My art, my redemption-_

Climbing to his feet, Majin Buu repaired the dents in his form with an audible pop. Steam venting from its head, Majin Buu sprinted towards Vegeta, but the Saiyan Prince charged towards him and met him halfway with a devastating uppercut. This was followed by a punch to the other side of Buu's face, and a kick to the back of the head, the momentum of which caused Majin Buu to face plant, and almost flip over backwards, before flopping down heavily.

"No! Majin Buu!" Babidi cried fearfully, "Wha-what's going on? He's beating you! Why can't you do to him what you did to the others?"

"Is _this_ the best your monster can do Babidi?" Vegeta sneered. "The 'Terror of the Universe'? Ha! Pathetic!"

_-I carry the torch of my fathers before me-_

As if just to spite his words, Majin Buu climbed back to it's feet, but it's eyes widened briefly as Vegeta resumed his attack with a powerful kick to the face; more specifically, the eyes, the blow actually caving in that part of Buu's head and burying his eyes under the mess that was his face. He followed this blow with an elbow drop, again laying out Buu, then landing on the other side of the monster and darting back, driving his knee into the pink monstrosity's gut before the momentum of his previous blow could wear off. Buu rolled from the blow, and Vegeta was quick to follow with blow after powerful blow against the seemingly helpless Majin Buu.

_-The thing I treasure most in life cannot be taken away-_

'Amazing,' Piccolo mused to himself, 'His energy; it's enormous! I haven't sensed anything like this since... Since Gohan fought Cell! But Majin Buu was able to take Gohan down; he killed him! I only hope Vegeta can avoid the same fate. He's the last chance we've got, and if he fails... No, Vegeta you can't fail. Unless Goku reappears, all of our lives, this whole world depends on you!'

_-There will never be a reason why I will surrender to your advice-_

Majin Buu staggered backwards, it's entire body riddled with craters, as Vegeta charged forward again, sending Buu skyward with another powerful uppercut. Racing up after him, Vegeta waited until Buu had broken through the clouds, having reached the peak of his ascent, before sending him plummeting back down with an axe handle to what remained of his forehead. Racing down after Buu once more, Vegeta booted him away to fall at an angle with a single kick to the stomach, and the falling comet that was Buu dug itself a massive hole.

_-To change myself, I'd rather die-_

"Majin Buu, don't let him do this to you!" Babidi begged. "Just eat him or squash him or something!" Like many times before, Majin Buu responded to his master's pleas, as with a small pink explosion, Majin Buu cannonballed through the air to land on it's feet on the ground again. Taking a mockery of a breath, Buu clenched it's fists, and forced the dents in it's form to pop outwards again, looking very pleased with itself for having done so. Babidi burst into laughter. "Buu you are wonderful! I positively love you! Now, go and destroy him!"

_-Though they will not understand-_

Vegeta ignored the wizard, focusing purely on the skipping monster. Sliding his left leg back, he pointed his forward leg directly at Buu, and raised his right arm to point at Buu, the first two fingers on his hand extended in a horizontal 'V'. His aura of golden flames burst into life, blue lightning dancing around his form, as he prepared his latest, previously unnamed technique. As the light from his aura hid the sun behind a shroud of darkness, and the wind spiralling around him almost hid him with dust, a cry of "Atomic Blast!" could be heard, preceding a golden beam punching a hole clear through Majin Buu.

_-I won't make the greatest sacrifice-_

"Yeah!" Piccolo shouted, having watched the lifeless form of Majin Buu slump to the soil as gracefully as an elephant charging off a cliff; that is to say, not very.

_-You can't predict where the outcome lies-_

It was celebrations all round on the cliffside, with Goten and Trunks cheering for the latter's father's victory, Lime smiling at the lavender haired child's antics, and even Krillin muttering his amazement. The only one not celebrating was Oran, who muttered mostly to himself, "That all seemed a little too easy... If it was that simple, why didn't Gohan..."

_-You'll never take me alive-_

Vegeta smirked to himself as he heard Babidi mourning the loss of his pet monster, but that smirk slipped when Majin Buu's fist clenched, and said monster climbed back to it's feet once more. Returning itself to it's former glory, if that word could be used to describe Buu, with a glare and an angry grunt, he taunted, "No no, Buu no drop dead."

"What is he, immortal?" Vegeta asked himself.

_-I'm alive-_

Still glaring at Vegeta, Buu crossed his arms, a sound rising in its throat that sounded something like the hum of a vacuum cleaner. Buu soon began glowing with an unholy pink light, growling, "Big power..." as a pink sphere of light faded into being around him. Said sphere soon began sending out pink pulses of light, as the hum grew to a roar. "Me mad now!" Buu growled.

_-I'm alive-_

"What the hell is that?"

"Hm?" Turning to face the way the young girl had indicated, Avarrdo was horrified to notice that, from their geosynchronous orbit over West Capitol, they could see a massive pink and golden light over to the west, which seemed to be sending out massive waves of pink light.

"This doesn't look good," Truniz remarked. True to his word, the epicentre suddenly seemed to explode upwards in a massive pillar of pale pink light, before dying back down again, leaving just a pink light shining on the horizon.

"I hope they're alright," Kellre muttered, "That attack was nearly off the scale."

_-I'm alive-_

Vegeta was not having a good day. First was the discovery that, no matter now much he trained, he would never beat Kakarott. Then, in an effort to change this, he sold his soul to Babidi to attain more power, only to find that he and Kakarott were now equal, but in doing so they had released Majin Buu. With their fight postponed, Vegeta had confidently strode in with every intention of defeating Majin Buu; as such, the fact he was partially scorched, and holding onto his bleeding left arm with his right, while crouched on the edge of a very large crater, was a bit of a kick in the teeth.

Forcing himself to his feet, he took a few steps closer to the hovering Majin Buu, growling, "Curse that thing! How can I beat him if he's able to regenerate himself after every attack? Darn him!"

"That fool thought he was so tough, but look at him now," Babidi jeered, floating a ways beside Majin Buu in his magic barrier, "He's nothing compared to you Majin Buu; he's nothing at all! Too bad he had to go and disobey me, he would have made a fine subordinate."

_-Change again, cannot be considered-_

Trunks floated quickly over to the cliffside, observing the goings on below solemnly. "Father..."

The rest of the 'audience' returned to their viewing positions, having weathered the massive explosion with a few scrapes at worst. Casting his gaze out at the massive destruction wreaked by Buu, Piccolo was forced to admit, "I don't think even Vegeta can do this on his own. And Gohan... Goku, the Supreme Kai, all of them are gone! If Majin Buu wins now, there... There will be no one left to stop him."

"Hold on!" Trunks objected, "My dad is _way_ too strong to lose to that creep, right Piccolo?" Piccolo did not answer, merely twitching a bit, which did nothing to settle anyone's nerves. "Piccolo!" Trunks cried again, hoping to provoke a response, but again none was forthcoming, and Trunks was forced to consider the possibility that maybe, just maybe, his dad was in a lot of trouble.

_-I rage again, dispelling my anger-_

Majin Buu plummeted to the earth like a stone, landing with an audible crash about fifty metres away from Vegeta, a glare on its pudgy pink face. Suddenly, without warning, Buu raised a single hand, and began waving, his glare breaking into a psychotically cheerful grin as he declared, "You no fun. You go bye-bye!" Buu then proceeded to repeat 'Bye-bye' in various tones and pitches, laughing gleefully.

Vegeta growled at the pink monster. 'I have to try harder. He _must_ have a weakness! If this thing can be given life, it can _also_ have it taken away!'

_-Where do I begin?-_

Vegeta was broken from his musing when Majin Buu reached down and took a firm grip on part of it's gut with both hands, and began pulling. Before too long, with a little bit of effort, Buu had managed to break off a ball of... whatever it was it was constructed of, the rest flowing back and settling like jelly. Buu whooped excitedly as it stretched the ball like taffy until it was about the length of his arm span.

"Argh, what a _disgusting_ creature," Vegeta spat. "What is he up to now?" As he watched Buu gleefully skip forward, the length of Buu-putty trailing behind it like a streamer, held only in one hand, he sneered, "Oh come on!"

Abruptly, with a cry of "BUU!" Majin Buu spat out a blast of pink energy, which would have incinerated Vegeta had he not dove out of the way. Spinning the putty around like a propeller, Buu continued forward, spitting more balls of energy rapidly, and Vegeta was hard pressed to avoid all of them, as they struck ground wherever he landed.

When the flow stopped, Vegeta landed in front of the final blast, unscathed. "So, are you going to fight me, or are you just going to spit?"

_-The choices are endless-_

In response, Buu screamed. Not a normal scream of course; this scream fired out a massive pink blast, easily five times larger than any one in the series before it. At the last second Vegeta phased out of the way, flipping backwards away from the blast, but this was exactly what Buu was waiting for, as evidence by the smirk on it's face. Leaping into the air and rearing back like a pitcher, Buu hurled the pink putty at Vegeta, and before the prince could react it wrapped around him, cocooning him almost completely, only his head and feet uncovered.

After dancing excitedly for a moment, Buu leapt over Vegeta's prone form, turning to kick him in the spine. The pink-wrapped Vegeta flew for a short moment, before landing heavily, coughing up blood. Looking skyward, the wind was suddenly forced from his lungs when Majin Buu landed on his chest ass first, before starting to lay into him.

_-My art, my redemption, my only salvation-_

The others could only watch in horror as Vegeta was pummelled. "Oh man, Vegeta's a goner," Krillin whined. "Man I wish Gohan and Goku were here. Argh, where the heck are those guys anyway?"

Goten spun around to face him, shouting angrily, "Hey, they'll be here Krillin! Just you wait!"

_-I carry the gift that I have been blessed with-_

At least one of their number, however, could wait no longer. Noticing the boy visibly twitching with barely repressed rage, Piccolo barked, "Stay where you are Trunks! We don't wanna lose you too; there's nothing you can do now! You'll just cause Vegeta _more_ pain if you get involved!" With a roar, it became obvious that Trunks chose to ignore the Namek's advice, flaring into Super Saiyan and blasting off at high speed. "Trunks! Come back!"

_-My soul is adrift in oceans of madness-_

"I'm coming, wait up!" Goten shouted, joining his life-long friend in Super Saiyan.

"No!" As the golden child made to race past Piccolo, the Namek reached out and snagged hold of his arm. "Goten, I won't let you go down there!" He stated resolutely. "You'll just make things worse!"

Taking to the air, Lime shouted back, "Doing something is better than not doing anything at all!" She raced off after Trunks, her brother in hot pursuit.

_-Repairing the rift that you have created-_

"Let me go, Trunks needs my help!" Goten demanded. Piccolo just growled once and lowered his head. "If I were Gohan I bet you'd let me go wouldn't you?"

That struck a nerve with Piccolo, pouring salt into a fresh wound the young Goten didn't know about. Gaping in shock at the words issued forth, Piccolo's grip loosened just enough for Goten to snatch his arm away and take off after his friends. "Stop!" The Namekian fighter shouted, but by then the horse had already bolted. His arm remained outstretched for a while, before he drew it back, clenching his fist. "No... Goten!"

_-I am not alone, brothers, give me your arms now-_

Babidi laughed gleefully to himself as he watched Majin Buu give Vegeta what he had coming to him. His laughter was cut off, however, by a golden comet that buzzed his right side from behind, followed quickly by a white one on his left, a second white one on his right, and a second gold one, again on his left. Floating there, stunned, he muttered to himself, "What was that?"

Majin Buu paused in stomping Vegeta into the ground as he heard something approaching from behind. Turning his head to see, he was just in time to witness a gold-wreathed brown boot impacting his face courtesy of one Trunks Briefs, sending him flying. As they skidded to a halt, the twins did their part to ensure Buu kept going, Lime firing off her Blast Cannon attack first, followed by Oran's Giga Cannon when the boy hit the ground a few seconds later.

The last to land, Goten grabbed hold of one end of the pink wrap surrounding Vegeta, calling the others over as he began to pull. The others wasted no time in running up and rolling Vegeta across the earth to free him.

_-The thing I treasure most in life cannot be taken away-_

"Huh? Who are those meddling kids?" Babidi barked to himself. "So Vegeta still has a few allies left. Ha, well they can try to save him but it won't make any difference."

Having finally freed the older man from the pink putty, Goten tossed the massive thick rope away, and Oran tossed a couple of fireballs on it to incinerate it, for good measure. Rushing over to his father, Trunks crouched down next to his head, asking fearfully, "Dad?"

_-There will never be a reason why I will surrender to your advice-_

"It's alright now, we're here," Lime added, as the kids crowded around him.

"Come on dad, wake up!" Trunks shouted, shoving his father. "Please wake up! Dad! Dad! DAD! Come on wake up!"

Lime lay a comforting hand on the younger boy's shoulder, as Oran asked, "Is he alive?"

"Of course he is!" Trunks barked angrily, fighting back tears. "My dad's the toughest guy in the whole world!"

_-To change myself, I'd rather die-_

"Yeah," Goten agreed unsteadily, before adding, "But he got hurt real bad..."

"Hey! Clean out your ears and listen to me okay!" Trunks spat; naive Goten actually did as told. "My mom told me my dad was the Prince of every single Saiyan!"

Goten was the only one surprised by the news. "Ah! He's a prince?"

"That's right Goten, a prince." Trunks replied, "And there's no way a prince could be beaten by a stupid monster!"

_-Though they will not understand-_

It seemed as if Trunks' faith in his father alone brought him back, as no sooner had he said those words, the older man started to stir. Opening his eyes painfully, he forced himself to look at the kids around him, Trunks in particular, as he murmured painfully, "Trunks, my son..." Gathering his strength, he forced himself to sit upright, clutching a hand over his eyes just in case he started crying, before shoving Trunks, who had latched onto his arm, away as he barked, "Wait, where is Majin Buu?"

Oran pointed in the direction of the smoke left behind by his and his sister's blasts. "If I had to guess, I'd say that-a-way."

_-I won't make the greatest sacrifice-_

"Ha, so he's alive." Babidi mused to himself. "That poor fool, it would have been a lot less painful for him if he had just rolled over and died! My Majin Buu is invincible. And now he's going to eat them all up!"

Bursting into hysterical laughter again, Babidi failed to notice someone coming up behind him until said person stated gruffly, "That's not gonna happen." His laughter cut off abruptly. "What you and that monster have done is unforgivable!"

Turning around, Babidi found himself face-to-shins with a seven-foot tall green man. "Who... Who are you?"

Giving him a level stare, Piccolo replied. "I'm the one who will be killing you now." When Babidi gaped in shock, he added, "Call your monster, so he can watch you die!"

_-You can't predict where the outcome lies-_

Piccolo lunged forward, fingers extended, fully intent on chopping Babidi in half. Throwing his arms forward, the diminutive wizard cried, "Barrier!" When Piccolo's arm just glanced the bubble, Babidi laughed. "You see? I'm much too powerful for you!"

"Let's test that theory shall we?" Piccolo remarked, charging forward and pushing against the barrier.

As the barrier started to give, Babidi pleaded, "No you fool! Don't you know that if you destroy me, then no one would be able to control Buu! He'll run wild, and there will be no way to seal him up again; listen to me! If I'm gone Majin Buu will destroy everything until there's nothing left of this planet!"

_-You'll never take me alive-_

"Like you were going to do anyway wizard?" Piccolo growled, interrupting the yellow being, who suddenly looked a lot more frightened. "That's not going to happen even if you are alive so it doesn't matter anymore!" With a roar from Piccolo, the barrier collapsed. "Goodbye!" Swinging his arm around like he'd tried the first time, Piccolo cut cleanly through Babidi, severing one of his raised arms and his entire torso from the rest of his body.

Plummeting into the hole Buu's explosion caused, Babidi's voice echoed, "What happened? What have you done to me?"

_-I'm no slave-_

Watching the green man in the sky, who was, in turn, looking in the direction Oran had reported Majin Buu was, Vegeta knew the score; Buu was up again. It was time. Without taking his eyes off Piccolo, Vegeta stated, "Trunks... You need... to take good care of your mother."

_-Are you feeling brave?-_

"Why would you say that?" Trunks asked, focusing on the distant look on his father's face. "Dad! Why do you want me to take care of mum? Are you going somewhere?"

_-Or have you gone out of your mind?-_

Vegeta ignored the question. "I want you kids to leave, and get far away from here. As for Buu, I will fight him alone." Vegeta tuned out the protests given by Goten and Trunks; he did notice, however, that the other two kids stood in resigned silence. Clearly, they knew what he was going to do. "Stop it," He cut them off, "It's too dangerous for you two. I will finish this by myself."

The two kept on regardless, until they said something they felt would get them in trouble, but no reprimand was forthcoming. Still gazing into the distance, Vegeta commented, "Trunks, you are my only son, yet I haven't held you once since you were a baby have I?" He turned to face him, opening his arms slightly. "Come here son."

_-No more games-_

Trunks took a step back; his father had never been affectionate. Ironically he would have been more comfortable if he _had_ gotten into trouble. Vegeta would not be denied however, wrapping his son into a light hug, despite Trunks' half-hearted protests; getting affection from his father may be awkward, but it was still affection, and it was still attention from his personal hero.

_-It won't feel the same-_

After almost a minute of this, Vegeta broke the comfortable silence, with words that stunned Trunks to his very core. "Trunks, there's something you must know. You're made me proud, my son." While Trunks gaped up at him with shock, Vegeta struck him on the side of the neck with a simple karate chop, knocking him out cold.

_-If I hold my anger inside-_

"What did you do to him?" Goten cried frantically, running forward to confront Vegeta. "Why'd you do that? What's wrong with you; why did you do that to Trunks? You might've killed him, are you crazy? Why? Why did you do it? Tell me, why did you do that to Trunks? You're his dad; dads aren't supposed to do bad things to their sons! Why did you hit him? Why did you hurt him like that? Why? Why!"

Vegeta didn't reply, at least not physically. Crouching down, he punched Goten in the stomach, not hard enough to cause damage, but hard enough to cause him to pass out. Turning to the other two kids, he asked, "So, am I going to have to knock you two out as well?"

_-There's no meaning-_

Lime shook her head. "No. We know what you plan to do, and if that's what you feel is the right decision, we'll support you, your Highness."

_-My soul is bleeding-_

Vegeta felt a smile come to his face. "Good, soldier. I wish I'd gotten the chance to get to know you two better, but now is not the time for regrets. I want you to take the boys as far away from here as you can. And when you see your brother again, I want you to tell him, I always admired him as a child, the sacrifices he made for our people. Now it's time I make my own."

_-I've had enough of your kind-_

Oran picked Goten up carefully, as Lime did the same to Trunks. Bowing their heads, Oran stated, "May you find glory this day." With that, the two took off.

No sooner had the twins left, Piccolo touched down nearby, and Vegeta gave him his full attention. After sharing a conversation without words, the pair's hearing picked up Buu's approach. Not taking his eyes away from his approaching opponent, Vegeta stated, "Make sure everyone gets as far away as possible. Go, now." The two strode past one another, Piccolo coming to a stop a distance behind Vegeta. "It's time, hurry!"

_-One suggestion-_

The two stood in silence for a moment more. "Are sins ever forgiven?" Vegeta asked, the lack of inflection in his voice hiding any emotions that might have triggered the question.

Piccolo shrugged, though the gesture was wasted. "I've never tried."

"Huh... Never tried..." A tired grin came to Vegeta's face. "Well I'm going to try. I'll phone in the verdict."

_-Use your discretion-_

Piccolo half-turned to face him. "You'll die, you know that." It wasn't a question.

"There is one thing I'd like to know," Vegeta replied, semi-dodging the non-question. "Tell me, will I meet that clown Kakarott in the 'Other World'?"

_-Before you label it 'lie'-_

"I'm not going to lie to you Vegeta, though the answer may be difficult to hear." Piccolo explained. "This is the truth. Goku devoted his life to protecting the lives of others. Because of his selflessness, when he died, he was allowed to keep his body, and travel to King Kai's planet. You on the other hand have spent your life in pursuit of your own selfish desires; you've caused too much pain. When _you_ die, you will **not** receive the same reward."

Vegeta smiled sadly. "Oh well. So be it." Buu was almost there. "That will be all. Get out of here, and hurry!" Piccolo needed no further prompting, taking off like a rocket.

_-The thing I treasure most in life cannot be taken away-_

"You stay!" Buu shouted, aiming one hand at the retreating Namek. "You fight Buu!"

"Yes! That's right!" Vegeta shouted, drawing the attention of the pudgy pink planet-killer. "Your fight is with me! The others are of no concern to you! Got it, you big bloated balloon freak?"

_-There will never be a reason why I will surrender to your advice-_

Vegeta knew by now that nothing worked better to draw Buu's attention than insults. And he was proven right when Buu started venting steam, stating, "Me no like you! Buu angry! You talk mean to Buu?"

Racing past the cliff they had spent much of the afternoon on, Piccolo spotted Krillin still crouched there. "Hurry Krillin!" He shouted, "You have to get away from there right now!" With a nod, Krillin blasted off after him.

_-To change myself, I'd rather die-_

Buu strode forward a few more steps. "Me make you hurt bad!" Venting more steam, Buu added, "Buu get big mad now! Me want fight!"

"I think I finally understand you!" Vegeta sneered. "Let's go!" Buu seemed a little surprised at Vegeta's eagerness to fight him, as the Saiyan Prince's aura burst into life.

_-Though they will not understand-_

"What's Vegeta up to Piccolo?" Krillin asked, catching up to the Namek fighter, who had, in turn, caught up to the Saiyan kids. "He's crazy! He won't make it! That monster is gonna eat him alive!"

"For the first time, Vegeta is fighting for someone _other_ than himself." Piccolo replied. "Controlling his own fate."

_-I won't make the greatest sacrifice-_

Golden flames spiralled around Vegeta's smirking form, thick enough to almost hide him completely from view. The Majin Saiyan had two auras now: the first, a golden sphere of light and flames surrounding him; the second, a massive pyre of semi-transparent golden fire. Those cliffs and crags that had survived until now finally gave up the ghost, collapsing and being carried off by the wind.

_-You can't predict where the outcome lies-_

Despite his cape blowing almost vertically, Buu wasn't phased. "You look tasty. I make you chocolate. Or maybe cracker and cheese!"

_-You'll never take me alive-_

Vegeta smirked. "You are a fool!" Swarms of sparkling blue lights could be seen in the air everywhere. "I'm going to crush you, and throw you into the wind!"

_-I'm alive-_

Buu seemed to finally recognize the threat, far too late to do anything about it, examining the blue lights with wonder and curious noises.

_-I'm alive-_

A resigned smile came to Vegeta's face. 'Trunks, Bulma, I do this for you. And yes, even for _you_, Kakarott.'

_-I'm alive-_

Buu cried out in fear, as Vegeta let out a haunting, echoing roar, a massive dome of golden light rapidly expanding away from the battered Saiyan.

_-I'm alive-_

The energy cleaved straight through the mountain ranges, reaching the southern ocean, and continued expanding in all directions.

_-I'm alive-_

Buu let out a pained screech as the energy tore at him, before he vanished in the explosion.

_-I'm alive-_

The four conscious fighters gaped at the still growing dome of golden energy, easily bright enough to blot out the sun. Bowing their heads, it was Krillin that spoke, giving a subdued, "Vegeta..."

_-I'm alive-_

And still Vegeta roared, the gathered energy taking on a life of it's own. Soon, he too was lost to the light. And thus, one of Earth's greatest warriors perished.

_-I'm alive!-_

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

The first time I heard this song, I instantly pictured this particular fight. Admittedly, when I first heard it I thought the lyrics were "I will make the greatest sacrifice" and not "I won't make the greatest sacrifice" but, oh well. I just hope I did it justice.

Wow, almost forgot to get this one out... World of Warcraft has been consuming my soul.


	28. D05B: With My Mind

--- Disturbance, Book 2: Divergence ---

Chapter D05-B - With My Mind

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-In a violent world, where deception's free-_

When Pi first witnessed Kaen being affected by Babidi's evil magicks, she had faith that her mate would be all right. When he had flown away from the World Tournament arena, and led her to the frozen wasteland around them, she kept her faith. Throughout the entire fight, she still believed. And as the fiery blade in his hand halted less than an inch from her neck, she found her faith rewarded. She just grinned, commenting, "You can't kill me."

"What the hell?" Phoenix shouted, before clutching his head, a cry of pain being wrenched from his mouth, as he felt like his head was being slowly sawed in two. In an instant, he realised his mistake: with the bond between Kaen and Pi, his body instinctively could _not_ kill her, regardless of who controlled it, and by trying, he had given Kaen the opportunity to escape the prison in his mind.

As the shadowy quality of his body faded, Pi asked tentatively, "Kaen?"

_-Things I can't control, taking over me-_

He blinked a few times, before his eyes focused on her, "Pi?" With that one syllable, he rushed over to her, pulling her to her feet, asking, "Are you okay? I could see what was happening but I couldn't stop myself; I didn't hurt you did I?"

"Hurt me?" She asked, grinning broadly, before replying, "Kaen, that was the best spar we've had since, well, _ever_. If we didn't have that whole 'saving the world' thing to take care of, I would ride you into the dirt." She paused, looking at him curiously before asking, "Are you... blushing?"

"I... Uh..." He shook his head, and yanked his jaw back up; he always knew Pi was hiding something behind that girly-girl exterior, but this... Coughing once to compose himself, he asked tentatively, "Uh, Pi, before the fight, that stuff you talked about..."

_-Did they try to take my identity-_

When he trailed off, she prompted, "What about it?"

"Was it just to buy time, or was it the truth?"

"Both." Before he could react she pulled him close, pressing the button on his wrist to deactivate his armour, before using her tongue and lips to slowly trace the bite mark on Kaen's left shoulder. That done, she whispered hotly into his ear, "Never doubt that I was made only for you."

Honestly, Kaen had no idea how to deal with the information he'd received so far, and as long as he had that bastardly alternate personality monkeying around in his head he knew he'd never have time to sort it out, so he did the truly male thing of simply filing it away for later and going with the flow, pulling her mouth to his and kissing her for all he was worth.

_-So what the hell have they done to me!-_

Breaking away, she asked, "So, is it over then?"

Kaen shook his head, "I can still feel him in there, waiting to take control again, and if he does, I'm not sure I'll be able to stop him a second time."

"So," she started, her voice still retaining the deep, sultry quality from before, showing she was still in business-mode, "How are we going to solve this little problem, hm?"

"_I_ am going to solve it using the original idea I had," Kaen replied, stressing the 'I'. Before she could berate him for that, or ask him what the idea was, he continued, "I'm going to go into the Mindscape and confront him."

"What the hell are you talking about?" She asked irritably, "You're going to go into your head to fight an alternate personality? Are you even listening to yourself - you can't fight something that isn't real!"

_-I will take your thoughts away-_

"He's _very_ real Pi," Kaen replied gravely, "He even has his own soul." At the shocked look on her face, he added, "Nijuushin intended this technique to be a way to be reborn, so the only way I will be free is if I can eject that soul from my body. To do that, I need to defeat him on the Mindscape."

"You mentioned that before," Pi interrupted, "What, exactly, is the Mindscape?"

Kaen nodded, his voice taking on the lecturing tone she recognized as his father's, "Alright, you've heard of the theory of mental sparring, right?" When she nodded, he continued, "Basically, the Mindscape is where people who, through meditation or some other means, leave their body go to. It's a place that exists in every person's subconscious, and a gateway to a global consciousness that most people will never know exists, let alone be able to reach. It's also where mental sparring takes place." He grinned, adding, "Although, mentally sparring with yourself is something no-one's ever tried before, so..."

_-And I'll ignite your fear today-_

She knew there were risks and dangers he wouldn't mention, or even acknowledge existed, and she knew that, regardless of what she said, he would do this anyway, so she just nodded, kissing him again before saying, "You die, and I swear on our love, I will follow you to Hades and drag you back, then beat the shit out of you for leaving me. Understand?"

Rather than grinning, or giving her a smart-ass remark, like she expected him to, he kissed her back, replying solemnly, "I swear, on our love, that I'm not going _anywhere_. I _will_ return to you, even if I need to kill God and the devil both to do it." That said, his eyes closed, and she could 'feel' him leaving his conscious mind, the perpetual echo through the bond fading to deathly silence. It was only then she let her confident mask slip, revealing the worried look behind.

A single tear slipping from her eye, she whispered, "Stay safe..."

_-Well I can take you far away-_

He cast his gaze at the landscape around him, musing to himself, "Not quite what I expected..." The area around him seemed heavily industrial: thick-looking steel walls, I-beams and girders, corrugated iron awnings, and so on. There was something strikingly familiar about the surrounding area, but, for some reason, the memory didn't come; like his last bout of deja vu, there were too many memories to sort through.

A deep laugh broke his musing, as it echoed across the landscape. Kaen grinned to himself; he knew that laugh anywhere. Turning to face the speaker, he commented, "Love what you've done with the place."

_-With my mind-_

Phoenix grinned back at him, although the one on his face was a touch more sadistic, "So, you finally came. You are a fool." Black fire burst into life around his hands as he added, "And when I kill you here, the first thing I'll do is finish that bitch off once and for all."

Kaen growled, "Over my dead body!"

Phoenix face-faulted, the flames dying out as he spluttered, "Well, that's the po-" He was cut off abruptly by a fist impacting his chest, followed quickly by an elbow to the right temple, a kick to the left, and an uppercut, the last of which sent him stumbling back a few steps, before a mule kick to the chest knocked him flying, to crash into the steel wall behind. Phoenix growled to himself, glaring up at the grinning form of Kaen, still on the ledge he had been knocked off. "Cheap..."

_-With my mind-_

Kaen just grinned, "You're just jealous you didn't think of it first."

Standing up, Phoenix turned to one side, spitting out some blood, before muttering sourly, "That's besides the point..." Wiping the thin trail of blood from the side of his mouth, he added, "So, should we skip the warm-up then?" With mirrored grins, the two clenched their fists, ascending into Super Saiyan with a rising shout, one that continued as their auras bled from golden to red. The technique was such a part of him now the words were no longer needed, but still, they declared them. "Rage Pyre!"

_-This life, for me, changes everyday-_

The two mini suns stood silent for a moment, the only sound the crackling of flames, before the two leapt into action, Kaen diving down to his opponent, as Phoenix jumped up. The two exchanged blows for a while, before with a resounding crack, the pair both made contact, separating the two of them in a very violent manner to collide with the steel walls behind them. Kaen quickly threw his hands behind him, bracing himself against the wall he collided into, before leaping off again, fist outstretched to strike Phoenix where he landed, but his opponent quickly dived out of the way, his fist driving itself close to a foot in the metal wall.

_-I will stand up tall; I won't be betrayed-_

Bracing himself against the wall with one leg, he raised his left arm to deflect the incoming blows, Phoenix pressing his advantage, before Kaen ripped his arm out of the wall, bringing a good chunk of wall with it, and clocking his opponent around the head with the lump of twisted metal. Leaping off the wall again, he landed on the cliff he'd leapt from before, spinning in mid air to face his dazed opponent, before wrenching the chunk of metal off his arm and soccer-kicking it at his opponent.

_-If you play with fire I'll control the flame-_

The ball of steel slammed into Phoenix's chest, rebounding off and back in Kaen's direction. Grinning, he punched it back again, before it rebounded off Phoenix's head, flying back towards him. Still grinning, Kaen leapt into the air again, spinning around rapidly before delivering an almighty roundhouse kick to the steel ball, the lump of metal travelling at such speeds it began melting, before impacting with Phoenix's chest with a sickening crash, sending the dazed fighter back down to the ground again, no doubt with many a fractured rib.

_-I'll do anything to make you believe!-_

All too soon, however, Phoenix was back on his feet again, the 'M' on his forehead glowing briefly, before his collapsed chest reinflated with an audible pop. Grunting sourly, Kaen commented, "Now _that's_ cheap."

Phoenix just grinned coldly. "My turn." Kaen didn't even see him move before he felt the blow land. It was the first of many.

_-I will take your thoughts away-_

Ever since Kaen had entered his own mind, Pi had kept holding his body close, hoping that, in some small way, she could lend her mate support through her presence. Somehow, even without being able to witness the fight, she could tell Kaen was winning; right up until she felt his body recoil as if struck, his head snapping to one side, and a slick of blood fleeing his mouth. Then his body started jerking around, as though he were having an epileptic fit standing up.

_-And I'll ignite your fear today-_

Pi just held him tighter, using one arm to lock his body in place, and the other to hold his head beside hers. She was reminded suddenly of a line she'd heard in some movie she watched with Kaen, about how, in situations where the mind fights and the body doesn't, 'the mind makes it real'. She realised that this must have been one of the unspoken dangers in battling on the Mindscape.

_-Well I can take you far away-_

She just wished there was some way she could help... Not noticing the streams of tears trailing down her cheeks, she racked her brain, trying to come up with a way to assist. Unbidden, her mind came to focus on what so recently had saved her life, and returned her mate to her, if only for a short while; the bond. Even now, she could still feel him through it, if only faintly...

In a flash of inspiration, it hit her. If Kaen had gone into the depths of his mind, and she could still 'feel' where he was, maybe she could follow him. A smile on her lips, she buried her face into his shoulder, closing his eyes as she sought him out.

_-With my mind-_

Kaen was rocked by attack after attack, the strikes coming with speeds he never would have expected from his own power, just showing how much of a boost the Majin magic was; it proved it was a multiplier, not a fixed bonus, because he didn't remember being this strong in his past life. With a massive shout, Kaen's aura roared to life again, proving to be anything but harmless as it expanded outwards into an orange sphere of pure energy. Everything within a thirty-metre radius of Kaen's location was liquefied, the metal floors, walls, and pillars melting under the intense heat.

_-With my mind-_

As Phoenix slammed first through a vertical I-Beam, then into a steel wall hard enough to leave a three-foot deep body impression, Kaen stumbled in midair, plummeting through the hole he'd carved in the platform to land on the ground below. Panting heavily, he spat out a spray of blood, remarking, "Can't let him catch me like that again..." He forced himself to his feet, wiping the blood from his face, while focusing his energy inwards to speed up his natural healing; it wouldn't be enough to heal all his wounds, but it'd buy him some extra time.

_-I will take your thoughts away-_

With a resounding thump, Phoenix flopped out of his hole in the wall, landing ungracefully on the steel ground. Dragging himself to his feet, he muttered, "That... hurt."

"Well your assault didn't exactly tickle either," Kaen commented sarcastically. As he watched, all the burns and injuries on Phoenix's body faded, the Majin magic healing him. "Dude, weak."

Phoenix just grinned, "This is _my_ world, and you take all advantages you can get. You of all people should know my stand on that issue."

_-And I'll ignite your fear today-_

Kaen shook his head, replying, "I also know how that magic made me feel dirty to the depths of my soul, a filth no amount of cleaning could remove."

"A means to an end," Phoenix replied, strangely serious, "I have no doubts that the Z-fighters will kill Babidi before too long, but by then, I will have used his power to meet my own objectives." He fell into stance, adding, "Now, let's finish this."

_-Well I can take you far away-_

Kaen knew he wasn't healed enough, but nonetheless he mirrored his opponent's stance, preparing to meet his foe head on. The combat that followed was swift and brutal, and Kaen put up a good fight, but in the end, his battered body gave out on him, and he fell to his knees, powerless to continue.

"You see?" Phoenix asked, all signs of his earlier seriousness, and lucidity, gone, "The girl has made you weak. When you and I were one, we were strong, and nothing could stop us. Now, you have been weakened by your 'feelings' for her, and I am the stronger. Don't worry though; I will help you shed these illusions you call feelings, and together, we will be strong again."

_-With my mind-_

"Not so fast, phoney," a new voice interjected. Turning to face the voice, both Kaen and Phoenix watched as Pi faded into view, a determined look on her face, clashing slightly with the superior smirk she bore.

"No Pi, it's what he wants!" Kaen cried out, trying to stand, and feeling the deja vu worse than before.

_-With my mind-_

"Right you are!" Phoenix crowed triumphantly, "You see, my dear, you're quite right. Out there, I can't kill you. In here, however, is another matter entirely. You will die, and he will watch, as I strip him of weakness, and destroy you forever in the Mindscape."

Raising her arms to block the rapidly incoming strike, Pi countered verbally with, "If I die, Kaen's body will die out as well, as the link between us is severed."

_-I'll take all your thoughts away-_

"Incorrect," Phoenix retorted, continuing to attack her as she continued to block, "When you die here, any and all dependencies because of the bond will die with you, and your body will simply wither and die, your mind lost forever."

This, Pi decided, sounded truer than she wanted to believe, so she focused her mind into the fight, determined to destroy this Phoenix corrupting her mate's mind once and for all. However, despite her best efforts, the dark copy of her mate proved the stronger, the Majin magic tainting his soul proving to be too much of an advantage, and within minutes, Phoenix broke through her defences, and her injured body struck steel moments later.

_-And I'll ignite your fear today-_

In that instant, the deja vu he'd been having since Pi first started fighting Phoenix became clear - the nightmare's he'd had before finding his family off world. There were enough subtle differences to show he wasn't just dreaming it again, but enough similarities for him to know what came next. As he watched Phoenix prepare the killing blast, the final pins fell into place; he knew exactly what to do next.

Screwing his eyes shut, he drowned out all background noise, focusing on what he needed to do, and, as the blast left Phoenix's palm, he shouted out an almighty "NO!"

_-Well I can take you far away-_

The blast exploded extremely violently, kicking up massive winds and smoke, and obscuring Pi from view, but, to Phoenix's satisfaction, he felt her ki signature disappear. He fully expected to see her charred remains when the dust and smoke cleared, so when the steel wall was revealed, bowed outwards to show it had taken the brunt of the attack, he was, to say the least, surprised. Confused, he muttered, "What the hell?"

"You know," Kaen commented offhandedly, "Something you said earlier just made sense to me."

"Oh?" Phoenix asked, turning to face him, "And what is that?"

_-With my mind-_

"You said that this is your world," Kaen replied with a grin, "But it is still _my_ head." At that point, the ground beside Kaen spiralled open, a platform rising to reveal Pi, fully healed by the looks of things. As a pair of electrodes rose out of the ground behind him, and began recharging his energy, he added, "And in _my_ head, _I_ have the home-team advantage!"

With a smirk, the Saiyan couple fell into opposite stances, preparing for their foe's next wave. This fight was just getting started.

_-With my mind-_

To be continued...


	29. D06: Coming Undone

--- Disturbance, Book 2: Divergence ---

Chapter D06 - Coming Undone

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-Keep holding on when my brain's ticking like a bomb-_

The mood aboard the airbus the Z Fighters collectively sat was sombre. Everyone was pointedly avoiding the topic of Vegeta, for fear of how the known-to-be-unstable blue-haired genius in the front would take it, but the general consensus was that something had been done to him, changing him into what they'd seen, because the Vegeta they all knew was past that.

Trying to start some sort of conversation, Videl turned to the bag beside her, noticing the seven orange balls within pulsing. "I can't believe these small glass balls have the power to bring people back from the dead."

_-Guess the black bots have come again to get me-_

"Well, believe it Videl," Yamcha replied, from his position piloting the craft; normally, Bulma would steer, but she wasn't exactly in the right frame of mind right now. "We've used the Dragon Balls many times to revive people. I mean, even I've been killed and revived before."

"Oh no, don't get me wrong, I believe the Dragon Balls can revive people," Videl back-pedalled, deliberately choosing _not_ to mention the incident a month ago that had required Dragon Balls to fix, though glad said incident hadn't used Earth's set; that might have been hard to explain. "I just can't believe the Dragon Balls look so... well, ordinary."

_-Sweet bitter words, unlike nothing I have heard-_

Chichi smiled. "Well, they always say you can't judge a book by its cover. Some times the tiniest things can have the most effect. If it's any conciliation, however, Gohan's told me the Namekian set, the original set of Dragon Balls, are each about the size of a basketball, if not larger."

Turning to her left to face the woman, Videl was about to reply when she saw a golden glow out the window. A glow that was steadily getting brighter, and approaching. "Hey guys, what's that?"

_-Sing along mocking bird, you don't affect me-_

His head whipping left, Yamcha took one look at the glow before realising exactly what it was. "Hang on everyone, this is going to get rough!" The airbus was rocked violently for a few minutes, as waves of golden light washed over the Capsule Corp craft, and just as they thought it couldn't get worse, it suddenly stopped, and the ship levelled out.

Sitting up in her seat again, Videl commented, "That got the old heart rate up."

As if the dark-haired teen's words had triggered something, Bulma suddenly felt a pang in her chest. Placing a hand over her left breast, she thought to herself, 'What's this horrible feeling in my heart?' Had Bulma talked with Chichi concerning how she dealt with Goku's death, she might have noticed the signs; then again, she might not have, as she hadn't heard Vegeta's voice since he'd entered the ship, and had been feeling depressed ever since she saw him kill those people. 'I think... I think something bad's happened to Vegeta...'

_-That's right-_

The prince opened his eyes, taking quick recon of the surrounding area. A massive ornate castle, yellow clouds covered much of what should be ground, and a line of small bluish-white clouds were being herded by a series of blue ogres; there was no mistaking what this place was. "So this is Otherworld huh?"

_-Deliverance of my heart-_

"Correct!" A voice boomed from behind him. Turning to face it, he noticed the giant red form of King Yemma behind him; Vegeta felt a certain sense of sick satisfaction at having been bumped to the head of the line. "Vegeta, in your life you have caused so much pain, to list your crimes would take more time than I can spare. And yet, you have tried to make amends for your actions. Do you have anything to say in your defence that might sway my verdict?"

_-Please strike-_

Vegeta smirked. "Yes I do. It doesn't really matter what you do to me, you can't really punish me. If you send me to Hell, I spend the rest of eternity with my people, beating the shit out of Frieza. If you don't, I spend the rest of eternity beating up Kakarott and the other powerful warriors. Either way, I get what I want."

_-Be deliverance-_

Yemma frowned. "Very well Vegeta. I hereby sentence you to an eternity in Hell. May you find remorse for your crimes there."

As the floor opened up beneath him, Vegeta used his ki to prevent his descent for now; he had one final comment he wished to make. "Good luck with that. I mean, honestly, has that _ever_ worked?" Dropping into the hole before the now-angry demon could find somewhere worse to stick him, Vegeta cast his eyes about his new home. "Now then, to find my people..." He mused to himself, blasting off.

_-Wait / I'm coming undone-_

Bulma's dark musing was cut short when a panicked Yamcha shouted, "Guys, I think we're in trouble." He twisted the controls to either side. "The controls, they aren't responding!" There was an explosion. "We've just lost engine one!" A second explosion. "Engine two! We're going down!"

_-Unlaced / I'm coming undone-_

The crippled yellow airbus screamed down towards the desert wasteland below, while Bulma and Yamcha frantically worked to restore the system. In the back, Chichi shouted, "Do something! If you don't, we're all gonna die!"

"I'd like to Chichi," Yamcha shot back, "But what can I do without any engines?"

_-Too late / I'm coming undone-_

An idea forming, Videl raced over to the nearest side exit, shouting, "Hold on!" Satisfied her message was received, she twisted the handle, flinging the door open and taking to the skies. Focusing her energy, she sped forward to the front of the ship and began pushing, trying to slow it's forward momentum, with limited success. 'Damnit!' She screamed in her head. 'I'm just not strong enough...'

_-What looks so strong so delicate-_

Her own personal panic was halted when she noticed a second set of very feminine hands grasp the wheel axel below. Tracing the arms back to their source, she noticed the blonde form of Eighteen lending her own vast strength to the task. Said android, noticing the gratitude in Videl's eyes, replied to the unspoken statement with a cool, "Don't mention it. I just wish I'd thought of it first."

_-Wait / I'm starting to suffocate-_

Working together, the two managed to right and land the craft safely, to an excited shriek from Marron of "Mommy's flying the plane!" Carefully setting the airbus on the red dirt, the pair shared a relieved sigh and a smile before the rest of the group exited the vehicle to give their thanks.

Videl waved them off, giving an embarrassed, "I didn't really do anything; it was almost all Eighteen."

_-And soon I anticipate-_

"Maybe so," Eighteen herself argued, "But it was your idea."

Sliding off his yellow jacket, Yamcha fetched the toolkit out of the back. "Well, I better get to work fixing this thing if we're ever gonna get to Capsule Corp."

_-I'm coming undone-_

Bulma scowled to herself, shoving him aside. "Let me do it."

"But Bulma-"

_-What looks so strong so delicate-_

"Shut up Yamcha!" She snapped. "I'm the one who built this thing, so I'm the most qualified to fix it." He opened his mouth to protest. "I'm also in a very bad mood and need to do something, so if you get in my way, I'm going to stick this wrench someplace unpleasant." Said wrench was about the size of her forearm; Yamcha quickly backed off. Nodding, Bulma slipped on a pair of work overalls she kept in the back, and set to work.

_-Choke, choke again / I thought my demons were my friends-_

The four floating figures gazed out in the direction that had, until a few seconds ago, contained a massive dome of golden light. The sombre mood was broken when Oran commented softly, "Typical Vegeta. He died the way he lived; loud, violent, and impossible to miss." This remark got a slight smile from two of the three others.

The third, Piccolo, stated, "I'm going to go pay my respects."

"I'll go with you," Krillin offered.

_-Getting me in the end, they're out to get me-_

The Namek just shook his head. "I'd rather go alone."

Krillin hung his head. "Right. Buu might still be alive."

"I doubt it," Piccolo replied, "But we can't be too careful. I need you to ensure the kids get to safety." Krillin signalled his agreement, and the group started to drift apart before Piccolo added, "And Krillin, I need you to do something for me."

_-Since I was young I've tasted sorrow on my tounge-_

The former monk nodded. "Sure Piccolo, what is it?"

"I need you to tell everyone what happened here."

"What _did_ happen here?"

_-And this sweet chugga gun does not protect me-_

Piccolo hung his head. "I don't know what happened to Goku, but... Gohan is dead. I heard Vegeta say that Majin Buu had killed Gohan." The green man took off without another word.

"Wait Piccolo! That's not fair!" Krillin shouted after him, collapsing inwards. Thinking back over what he'd seen of Gohan's life, Krillin wept inside. 'I can't believe he's dead...' "I'd rather fight Buu..."

_-That's right-_

Taking in the damage Vegeta's attack had done to the landscape, Piccolo had just one thing to say; "Whoa, what a blast!" The diameter of the crater formed from Vegeta's explosive attack would, from ground level, have stretched past the horizon. Landing in the centre, he observed that there wasn't a trace of Vegeta anywhere, but there were traces of Buu; thousands of pink pieces littered the ground.

'I never would have thought you the type to make such a noble sacrifice,' Piccolo thought silently to the deceased prince. 'Giving your life for another, it's not an easy choice to make; I know.' He was, of course, referring to when he had thrown himself in front of Nappa's blast and saved Gohan's life. 'I was once like you Vegeta, before Gohan's love changed me, as, it would seem, Bulma and Trunks' did you.'

_-Trigger between my eyes-_

Taking in the sight of Buu's remains, he continued, 'I can see now why you had to do it. Majin Buu would have regenerated from anything less than complete destruction, so you had to find a way to destroy him completely. Well you've done it Vegeta. Your sacrifice was not in vain.'

His sensitive ears picked up a dying voice amidst the carnage. Walking over, he noticed a slightly smaller inner crater, in which rested the bisected form of the wizard Babidi. Practically burning inside with rage, Piccolo spat, "How is it that good people like Vegeta and Gohan die, while you live on?"

_-Please strike-_

"Help me," Babidi cried weakly.

"Oh I'll help you alright!" Piccolo growled, raising both hands to his forehead and preparing his student's technique; it seemed the most appropriate. "Masen-" He cut off quickly when he noticed the little pink blobs twitching, and he gaped in horror when they each formed into a mini Buu, giggled creepily, and took to the sky, flying into a single mass in the sky; Majin Buu was rebuilding himself. Getting a running start, Piccolo shouted, "I better get out of here while I can!"

_-Make it quick now-_

No sooner had he left than the newly rebuilt Majin Buu landed heavily on the ground whence he'd stood, smirking evilly in the direction the green man had left. The pink thing turned to the side when it heard Babidi cry out, "Help me Majin Buu!" Buu put a hand to its head in a mockery of thinking, before sticking it's tongue out at him. "If you don't help me I'll seal you away again, and with me dead there will be no-one left to release you!" That got Buu's attention, and the pudgy pink monster quickly zapped Babidi with a green beam from its head tentacle, returning him to normal again.

Giving the bowing, mockingly apologetic Buu no more thought, Babidi growled to himself, "They'll all pay! The green man _and_ those kids! All of them are going to rue the day they messed with the great wizard Babidi! We're not going to destroy this planet; we're going to turn it into a living Hell! By the time we're done, they will beg for a death I shall not grant them!"

_-Wait / I'm coming undone-_

At the speed he was going, it was no surprise to Piccolo that he caught up with Krillin and the kids quickly; the formerly bald ex-monk wasn't exactly in a hurry, as he knew that, upon reaching his destination, he would have to break the terrible news that both Vegeta and Gohan were dead. As such, he both simultaneously relieved and horrified when Piccolo raced up and shouted, "Change of plans; we've got to get to the Lookout."

"It's Buu isn't it?" Oran asked. "He's still alive."

_-Unlaced / I'm coming undone-_

Piccolo nodded grimly. "Yes. Vegeta's attack had blown him into a thousand pieces, but somehow, he was able to regenerate even from that."

Ignoring Krillin's startled squawk, Lime asked, "How are we meant to defeat an enemy like that?"

"I don't know." He replied. "But I do know that we need to get to safety and work out what we've got. Until we find out who else we still have, those two are our only hope." Clearly, he meant the unconscious Goten and Trunks. With a nod, the group changed directions for the Lookout; it wouldn't keep them safe forever, but hopefully, it would last long enough.

_-Too late / I'm coming undone-_

A beaten, broken, and bloodied body staggered painfully over the rough terrain, far west of the once battlefield. Though his body should have given out long ago, through sheer force of will the Supreme Kai forced himself to go onwards, with just one hope, one goal in mind. "Gohan... You **have** to be alive. You're our only hope..." Eventually, he could go no further, and collapsed to his knees, his strength gone. Forcing deep breaths, he gathered his strength; he would try again, and keep trying until he found Gohan.

_-What looks so strong so delicate-_

The sound of running footsteps heralded Piccolo, Krillin and the kids' arrival to the Lookout, as Dende and Popo raced out to greet them. Taking in the sight of the two unconscious boys, Dende exclaimed, "They're not hurt are they?"

Piccolo shook his head. "No. Vegeta just knocked them out so they wouldn't interfere. They just need time to rest."

The young Guardian breathed a sigh of relief. "Then we'd better get them to bed. Mister Popo, could you show the kids the way?" The twins followed the black genie, and once they'd gone, Dende turned back to Piccolo and Krillin, half asking, "I take it we haven't made any headway?"

_-Wait / I'm starting to suffocate-_

The elder Namek frowned. "No. We're really on the ropes here. Vegeta's attack had Buu into thousands of pieces, but he just regenerated. And now..."

"Vegeta's gone," Dende finished sadly. At Krillin's startled look, Dende explained, "I've been keeping my proverbial third eye on what's happening down there."

"Really?" Krillin exclaimed excitedly, "So you can tell us whether Goku's alright? And Gohan?"

_-And soon I anticipate-_

Half-smiling, Dende replied, "As for Goku, it's kind of hard to kill a man who's already dead. As for Gohan..." The smile fell. "His ki signal just... disappeared. I didn't see what happened, but I can only assume..." He trailed off.

"What about the Supreme Kai?" Piccolo interjected.

_-I'm coming undone-_

The young Namek looked startled at that name. "Ah, I forgot to keep an eye on him." Closing his eyes, he concentrated for a moment before shouting, "There! He's okay; the signal's weak, but he's still alive."

Piccolo nodded. "Good. It's hard to make a plan when you don't know who you've got to run it."

Looking around, Krillin asked defeatedly, "Yeah, but, what are we gonna do now?"

_-What looks so strong so delicate-_

Sitting up in the desert wasteland that had become a battleground a few hours ago, at most, Goku clutched a hand to his head. "Man, it feels like I've been run over. What happened?" A sudden memory flash filled him in. "Oh right, Vegeta clubbed me over the back of the head. What a cheap shot!" Forcing himself to his feet, he stretched out his senses. "Oh no. By the looks of things, both Gohan and Vegeta are gone, and Majin Buu is free. Oh hey, Piccolo and Krillin are back in action; they'll know what's going on." Putting two fingers to his forehead, he spared one final thought for his son. "Gohan, I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."

_-I'm trying to hold it together-_

"Hey Dende, can I bring my family up here?"

The young Guardian looked over at the ex-monk, replying, "Well, technically it's not allowed, but I'm more than willing to bend the rules."

"Thanks Dende," Krillin smiled. "I'd like to have them nearby, what with everything that's happening. I don't want to think negatively, but without Goku, what hope do we have?" As if summoned by his words, the group noticed a sudden ki appear on the Lookout. Racing towards it, they noticed a battered Goku waving at them. "Goku! You're alive!"

"As alive as a dead guy can be!" Goku replied cheerfully. "So, anyone care to explain to me what's going on?" As Dende healed him, the others began explaining the situation. Once they were done, Goku growled to himself, "Gohan, Supreme Kai, and even Vegeta... What kind of monster are we dealing with?"

_-Head is lighter than a feather-_

"Majin Buu's power level continues to increase at a rapid rate," Piccolo explained, "If we can't stop him here, then there will be nothing keeping him from destroying the entire universe."

"What are you worried about Piccolo?" Krillin asked. "Now that Goku's here everything's gonna be fine."

"No Krillin, it won't," Goku interrupted. "When Vegeta and I were fighting, we were evenly matched, and Vegeta threw everything he had at Buu, even his life, and it still wasn't enough." The impact of this statement weighed heavily on the group. "Darn it! If only Vegeta hadn't been so arrogant we could have worked together!"

"Goku, an army of Super Saiyans couldn't have stopped Buu," Piccolo started to say.

"No Piccolo, I mean we could have done a fusion," Goku explained. He was met by blank looks. "A fusion is where two warriors, through use of a special technique, combine their powers together temporarily."

_-Looks like I'm not getting better-_

"You mean, like a merger?" Dende asked.

"That's exactly it!" Goku exclaimed. "I learnt it from the Metamorise in Otherworld. It allows two people of similar build and power to combine, but unlike other mergers, including the Namekian version, instead of one body playing host, a new, hybrid body is created, with characteristics from both." Rubbing the back of his neck in traditional Son fashion, he added, "Admittedly, I've never actually been able to try it, as there was no-one in Otherworld similar enough to me, and now that both Gohan and Vegeta are dead, that kinda sinks that plan."

Popo blinked. "What about Goten and Trunks? Could _they_ do a fusion?"

_-Not getting better-_

The gloom over the group exploded into joyful hope. "Yes! You're right Mister Popo, they could!" Turning to Piccolo, Goku explained, "I'm not gonna have enough time to teach them myself before my time is up, so do you think you'd be able to take over?"

Piccolo nodded. "I'll do my best." Without warning, the sky turned pitch black. "Someone's summoned the dragon!"

"It must be Bulma!" Dende exclaimed, "She must be trying to wish back the people Vegeta killed."

"Darn it! I've gotta stop her!" With that, Goku vanished.

_-Wait / I'm coming undone-_

"So how does this work exactly?" Videl asked curiously, casting her eyes over the seven pulsing orange balls scattered in a loose circle over the Capsule Corp lawn. "Does the dragon just pop out of them?"

"She may have a pretty face, but she's not very bright," Oolong muttered sourly.

"Shut up you!" Videl spat. "I'm not naive, I've just never seen a magical dragon before." Beside her, Chichi beamed in pride at how easily she managed to cow the talking pig.

"Do you remember the spell Bulma?" Yamcha asked.

"Don't worry Yamcha," the billionairess replied, "I'm not gonna screw it up."

"So there's a spell involved," Videl muttered, "Well, of course there'd be a spell to summon a magic dragon..."

_-Unlaced / I'm coming undone-_

Holding her hands before her, Bulma shouted, "Eternal dragon, by your name I summon you forth. Shenron!" The pulsing made way for a bright yellow glow, the sky growing dark, before a bolt of lightning blasted out of the balls and twisted through the sky, the tip of eventually shaped itself into a reptilian head as the golden light faded to reveal green scales.

"**You who have disturbed me from my slumber, speak, and name your first wish,**" the booming voice of Shenron declared.

"I think that I... I'm going to have to faint now," Videl commented dazedly.

Chichi smiled. "That was my first thought when I first laid eyes on Shenron too."

"Shenron!" Bulma shouted, "I want you to return all the people who died today back to life, except the evil ones."

The dragon's eyes glowed red. "**It has been set in motion. Name your second wish.**"

"Second wish!" A new voice exclaimed. "Oh no, I'm too late!"

_-Too late / I'm coming undone-_

"Goku?" Chichi asked curiously, "What's going on?"

"I'll explain once I get you guys to the Lookout, okay?" The deceased fighter replied, before turning to the dragon and shouting, "We don't have any more wishes for you to grant today, okay? We'll call you again some time!"

"**As you wish. Farewell.**" The dragon intoned, before fading back into yellow light. As the light faded, the glowing balls rose into the sky, before blasting off in seven different directions.

"Well, that's that." Goku commented, before turning back to the group. "Alright then, everyone ready to leave? As long as you're connected to me, even vicariously, you'll be transported."

"Oh, so you know Instant Transmission too Goku?" Videl asked.

The man in question tilted his head to one side. "How do you know about instant Transmission Videl?"

Inside, she started to sweat; she didn't want to explain the incident a month ago. Outside, however... "Oh, Gohan told me about it. He just didn't tell me he learnt it from you."

"Oh, okay then." He looked around. "Everyone connected? Then off we go." With that, the group vanished.

_-What looks so strong so delicate-_

'How am I alive?' This was the main question running around Kibito's head. 'I remember Dabura attacking me, but my body feels like it's perfectly fine.' He looked around the area. 'The same can't be said for the battleground however. Where is the Supreme Kai?' A niggle at the back of his senses caught his attention. 'There!' He took to the sky, hoping he wasn't too late.

Shin staggered forward step by painful step, the beating sun causing streams of sweat to streak down his face, carving trenches through the dirt. 'I will need help in order to stop Majin Buu. As long as Gohan lives, there is hope that I will be able to put a stop to Majin Buu, and as long as there is hope he is alive, I must continue on.' The world began swimming before his eyes, and he could sense Gohan's life force, faint though it was, still continuing up ahead, but his body could go no further, and he collapsed to the hard rock.

_-Wait / I'm starting to suffocate-_

As his consciousness faded in and out, he could hear the soft taps he associated with someone landing, before he was being shaken lightly, and a voice belonging to a dead man stated, "I know that you're alive my master; I can feel it!" With a low roar and a bright light, Kibito healed the Supreme Kai of his injuries. "Master?" His eyes snapped open, and he slowly pushed himself upright. "Greetings master?"

"Kibito?" Shin exclaimed in shock. "What's going on here? I saw you die! Dabura killed you right before my eyes!"

"I don't understand it myself," Kibito explained. "I just woke up in the crater that once was the mountain range we landed on."

"You just awoke as if nothing had happened? How peculiar."

"Yes indeed," Kibito nodded. "I must admit I was quite surprised myself. I was certain I was dead."

_-And soon I anticipate-_

Shin's head snapped around as his newly recovered senses picked up his target. "Ah, it's Gohan." He started to run off. "Kibito, hurry. Gohan's life hangs in the balance. No matter what we absolutely cannot let him die!" He blasted off without another word, Kibito shooting off after him. As they flew through the air, Shin asked, "Do you feel that?"

Kibito frowned. "His negative energy is impossible for me to ignore. Even after all this time, Majin Buu is as unstoppable a force as ever."

"The situations not entirely hopeless," Shin smiled, "There's a possible beacon of light that has made itself known to me."

"Does this have anything to do with our search for Gohan?" Kibito asked. Shin just smiled cryptically.

_-I'm coming undone-_

Within minutes, the pair found themselves floating over a fairly large woodland, searching for where Gohan had landed. "He should be around here somewhere..." Shin mused to himself.

"There he is, right there!" Kibito exclaimed, pointing down to a clearing where, sure enough, Gohan's battered body lay peacefully. The two quickly landed on either side of him, and Kibito checked his vitals. "He's alive. However, he's in a critical state, just like you were before I revived you master."

A relieved expression spread across the Supreme Kai's face. "Ah, then there's hope." Kibito placed a hand over Gohan's heart, but Shin cut him off quickly. "No. Kibito, let's wait to restore Gohan's energy until we take him with us back to our world."

Kibito gaped at him. "But master, surely you don't suggest bringing a mere Earthling back to the world of the Kai's do you? Why even the Grand Kai himself is not permitted to set foot on such hallowed ground."

"You heard me," Shin stated forcefully. "Now let's go home."

"Yes master," Kibito replied begrudgingly. A green sphere of energy appeared around the group before, with a short whistle, they were gone.

_-What looks so strong so delicate-_

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

Bit of a late update I know, but I've been so busy recently with job interviews it completely slippd my mind. Oh well, better late than never.

A quick reply to SSJmusicfighter282: First, let me say 'thank you' for your review. It's nice to know there actually _are_ people who have read the entire series thusfar. Now, in responce to your request, I think I can safely tell you that there's a remarkably good chance of Kai returning at some point without spoiling anything I have planned. He may not have a large role (i.e. longer than a chapter) but there is a very good chance he will appear.


	30. D07A: 1000 Words

--- Disturbance, Book 2: Divergence ---

Chapter D07-A - 1000 Words

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-I know that you're hiding things-_

_-Using gentle words to shelter me-_

"That's all very interesting, but where are Gohan and Goten?" They had all arrived safely at the Lookout, and those in the know had explained what had happened to those who didn't, but Chichi was no longer interested in that. She wanted one thing; her sons.

Krillin looked like he was about to have an aneurism, a look that only deepened as Bulma added, "And what about my Trunks? And Vegeta?" Piccolo just closed his eyes, hanging his head in silent remembrance.

The lack of a reply seemed all the reply most of the group needed. A hint of pleading in her voice, Chichi asked, "Goku, where are my sons?"

_-Your words were like a dream-_

"Come on Goku," Krillin prodded, his daughter Marron in his arms; after all that had happened today, he didn't plan on letting her out of his sight.

In a strained voice, Goku replied, "What I have to tell you isn't easy for me to say right now, but..." There was a moment of tense, awkward silence. "Goten and Trunks are going to be alright, but, Gohan and Vegeta... are dead." The announcement sent ripples of shock through all assembled, and it seemed, for one moment, too horrible to be believed, before it finally settled in. "Majin Buu, destroyed them both."

_-But dreams could never fool me-_

_-Not that easily-_

"But Gohan... He can't be... He just can't," Videl stammered out, water building up in the corners of her eyes. Chichi, befitting her normal style, fainted, her father rushing to catch her, and Bulma, in her usual style, began crying and wailing out her loss. As Yamcha rushed to console Bulma, and Goku checked on his wife, no one noticed a single tear slip from Videl's eyes, as she grieved alone. "How, can this be?"

The human girl could still see him in her mind, that happy, carefree smile on his face. She remembered the patient look he wore while she tried to fly, and the pure joy he radiated when she succeeded. She remembered how angry she'd been when he suggested she cut her hair 'because it would be better to fight', and yet, she'd done it anyway, because, despite what he may or may not have said, she could feel he'd like it better that way.

Most of all, she remembered how, on this very spot, he had given her, her first kiss. Finally, all the pieces fell into place, and Videl realised exactly how she felt about Gohan. "I love him..."

_-I acted so distant then-_

_-Didn't say goodbye before you left-_

She only vaguely noticed when the talking white cat with the walking stick showed up, telling them all that there was no time to grieve for their fallen; it was time for action. In the past, she might have questioned just how a cat could talk, but as it stood right now, it didn't matter; nothing mattered. The one thing in her life that had meant anything to her, the one person she felt she could really be herself with, was gone, and with him, all hope.

She did, however, notice when a squeaky voice began talking in her mind, as well as, she assumed, the minds of everyone else. The voice, which announced itself as 'the great wizard Babidi', informed everyone that he was looking for five meddlers, the pictures of which flashed through their minds: Piccolo, Goten, Trunks, Oran, and Lime. He told them that, if these five didn't reveal themselves, he would lay waste to the world.

And then he had Buu demonstrate.

_-But I was listening-_

She watched as, under Babidi's directive, the pink thing addressed as Majin Buu, the same Majin Buu that had supposedly killed Gohan, used his powers to lift everyone in the city below them (she believed it was Gingertown, but it was hard to tell, as she'd never actually been there, only having seen it during the news reports when Cell appeared) into the air, before turning them all into candy.

To her continued horror, Buu sucked them into his mouth, crunching them all down and swallowing audibly. That done, Buu then proceeded to destroy the entire city with a massive breath. The two waited there for a moment, as someone from the tournament contacted Babidi to inform them of three of the names, but as the tournament official couldn't supply a location, Babidi killed him with just a thought. That done, they flew off, Babidi riding Buu's back, with the final warning that this fate would be met by every city if the five weren't found in the next five days.

Hanging her head in sorrow, Videl begged silently, 'Gohan... We need you... I need you...'

_-You'll fight your battles far from me-_

_-Far too easily-_

The first thing Gohan noticed when he awoke was the acute lack of pain he normally associated with waking up after getting the shit kicked through him. The second thing he noticed was the grass under his back, which just conflicted with the first thing; if he was still lying on grass, meaning he'd woken up in the wilderness somewhere, why didn't he hurt?

The third thing he realised was that he wasn't alone. Opening his eyes, he saw the forms of Kibito and the Supreme Kai around him, the former leaning over him with one hand extended; that, at least, explained why he didn't hurt. Sitting up, he turned to the purple skinned being to his left, asking, "Supreme Kai, where am I?"

"You're on my home planet, the World of the Kais," Shin replied sagely.

Gohan sighed as he climbed to his feet. "I guess this means I'm dead huh?" He reached above his head, commenting, "Hey, don't I get a halo like my dad?"

"No Gohan, those are only for the dead," Shin replied with a smile, "And while you were in bad shape when we brought you here, you are very much alive."

"'Kay," Gohan commented dazedly, "But if I'm not dead, then why am I here?"

"I am curious about that as well master," Kibito asked from behind him. "No living mortal has ever stood on this ground. Not even the Grand Kai has permission to be here; it's not right!"

Raising a fist confidently, the Supreme Kai stated, "I brought Gohan here to get the Z Sword."

Kibito gaped. "The Z Sword! You... You can't be serious Supreme Kai! How can a mere Earthling do what the Kais themselves could not? Don't you remember? None of the Kais, not even you, were capable of freeing the Z Sword!"

"I am well aware of the power of the Z Sword," Shin replied with a cocky smile. "And I am also sure that Gohan is the one who can wield it." He started walking off. "Come on Gohan."

"Wait, aren't you gonna tell me what the Z Sword is?" Gohan asked; Shin's response was to fly away. "Guess not." Gohan took to the air moments later, a grumbling Kibito following after him.

_-"Save your tears 'cause I'll come back"-_

_-I could hear that you whispered as you walked through that door-_

"What! No way! That can't be! That could never happen to my dad!" Trunks wailed, tears welling up in his eyes he was too proud to shed. The two boys had woken up only minutes earlier to find themselves on a soft bed, in a cavernous room they didn't recognize. Fortunately, Oran and Lime were waiting nearby, to prevent them getting up to any mischief, and to inform them where they were.

The four had departed soon after, finding their way easily enough to the food Mister Popo had prepared earlier, and began stuffing their faces. It was there that Goku had found them, bringing the four of them with him saying he had important news to tell them. The news: Gohan and Vegeta were dead. Needless to say, they didn't take it very well.

Squeezing his eyes shut to prevent the tears from coming, Goten shouted, "My brother's not dead!"

"Stop that!" Goku shouted. "We don't have time for this now! We've got a lot of work to do, and you'll have to learn some new skills fast! You got it?" The two boys forced back the tears, turning to face him, though they kept their heads down, sniffling and twitching every so often. "I said stop that! There'll be no more tears from now on! You will _have_ to be tough to stop Majin Buu!"

_-But still I swore to hide the pain when I turn back the pages-_

With these words, Trunks forced his face into a mask of arrogant neutrality, one his father had donned every day of the week, and seconds later, Goten followed suit. They may have been young, but they were still Saiyan to the core. They would grieve later; vengeance came first.

"So what's this almighty plan to defeat Majin Buu you've got?" Oran called out derisively from behind the deceased fighter. "I mean, it's gotta be big if you're not gonna have enough time left on Earth to teach it to them." For reasons no one could truly fathom, Oran seemed to have taken an instant dislike to Goku. Only two people on the Lookout knew him well enough to be able to say why: Lime, and Videl. Simply put, Kaen didn't like Goku, so neither did he.

Goku smiled confidently. "It's called the Fusion Technique."

_-Shouting might have been the answer-_

"THAT'S your big idea?" Oran shouted incredulously, before turning to his sister and saying defeatedly, "We're doomed." She nodded her agreement sadly.

"What're you talking about?" Goku asked confusedly.

Oran sighed. "I'll explain this in simple terms for you Goku." The fact he used his human name rather than his Saiyan name spoke a lot for how he felt of him. "Let's say, on a simple single-digit number scale, that Majin Buu's power level was a five, okay?" Goku nodded. "Now, would you agree that, in order to beat Buu, a person's power level would need to equal at least five as well?" Goku nodded again.

Lime took over. "Considering Gohan was defeated by Buu, that would make him a four. Vegeta, being weaker than Gohan, would be a three; three-and-a-half tops. Goten and Trunks, however, are both considerably weaker than Vegeta, so they'd be one. Now Goku, what is one plus one?"

"Two," Goku replied, still confused as to where this was going.

"Correct," Oran clapped sarcastically. "Now, if we include the bonus the Fusion technique gives, in this instance one plus one would equal three. Now tell me Goku, which number is bigger: three, or five?"

"Five," Goku replied with a nod.

"Well done," Oran drawled. "Now then Goku, tell me this: IF THREE IS LESS THAN FIVE, HOW ARE GOTEN AND TRUNKS MEANT TO WIN?"

Everyone assembled, including most of the rest of the Z Fighters who were drawn to the boys' cries, but save the twins, clapped their hands over their ears; the boy's shout resonated off the domed room. Recovering quickly, Piccolo asked, "How do you two know so much about the Fusion Technique?"

Lime took a few steps forward to stand beside her brother, and they both took a couple of steps to the side.

_-What if I'd cried my eyes out and begged you not to depart?-_

Flying over the lush green fields of the World of the Kais, Gohan couldn't help but comment, "You know, in a lot of ways this reminds me of where I live back on Earth."

Kibito turned back to the gawking Gohan with a scowl, taking quick stock of Gohan's attire; the ruined gi really looked atrocious. "Look at you! This is a sacred place and you're dressed like that!" Before Gohan could react, Kibito pointed a finger at him, focusing his ki for but a second before releasing it. Gohan was surrounded by a sphere of white light for a second, before his clothes rematerialised in a near replica of what Kibito himself wore, but in the same colours of the Supreme Kai's outfit.

Turning his head back to face him, Shin couldn't help but laugh a little. "Those clothes suit you well Gohan." Gohan chose not to respond, and the three continued onwards towards a massive stone spire in the centre of a purple lake; well, the lake was really only purple because the sky was purple. "Ah, we're here!"

The three landed atop the stone spire, and in the centre of it, Gohan could see the hilt of a sword sticking out; the rest of the sword was buried in the rock. The haft and the pommel of the sword were golden in colour, with an aqua jewel on the tip of the pommel, while the handle itself was black. Only the very start of the silver blade could be seen above the rock it rested in.

"_This_ is the Z Sword Gohan," Shin explained, and the teen walked closer and crouched down to examine it. "Now try to pull it out. No one else has done it; Gohan, if you can pull it from the rock, you will be the first."

"The first one huh?" Gohan muttered quietly. "You know, this might sound strange, but I think I've done this before..."

_-But now I'm not afraid to say what's in my heart-_

The twins raised their arms, pointing them away from each other as they stood ramrod straight, in mirroring positions. Taking three equidistant steps towards each other, they windmilled their arms in a semi-circle, chanting, "Fu." They stopped with their hands almost touching, throwing them across their chest back to where they were before, raising their outside leg so their knees pointed at one another. "Sion." Leaning towards each other, they extended their legs again as they brought the tips of their fingers to touch, the 'inside' arm below their head, and the 'outside' arm above. "HA!"

A flash of blinding light consumed the pair, forcing the onlookers to shield their eyes, and a massive gust of wind swept around the room. The rapid power increase from inside the white light caused the room to shake, flakes of dust falling from the pillars. When the light finally died down, the twins were gone, leaving a single person in their place.

This new person was clearly female. Starting at her forehead, five distinct spikes of hair shot backwards, and directly beneath the central spike, at the back of her head, was a ponytail that trailed halfway down her back. The face was almost completely Lime's, though the eyes, and several hard, defining lines, were like Oran. She wore a black vest with red-gold trim over a white sleeveless undershirt, a deep red sash around her waist, and white baggy pants, finished off with black cloth shoes and wristbands of a colour to match the sash.

_-Though a thousand words-_

_-Have never been spoken-_

There were many things that ran through the minds of those who had witnessed the power of the Fusion Technique first hand. The first to speak up was Trunks, who shouted, "That is so awesome!"

"Yeah!" Goten cried out, turning to his father and asking, "Is that what you're gonna teach us?"

"Uh, yeah..." Goku replied dumbly, before turning to the fused being and asking, "Where did you learn fusion?"

The girl shrugged, her voice made up of the voices or Lime and Oran in perfect synchronisation. "Sis picked it up while she was searching for brother. She taught him, and he taught us."

Goku's face slipped into a mask of confusion. "Kaen and Pi know fusion?"

_-They'll fly to you-_

_-Crossing over the time and distance holding you-_

_-Suspended on silver wings-_

The look the fused girl levelled at Goku was one females everywhere recognised; the look of a girl/woman trying to get something through the thick head of a boy/man. In a deadpan tone, the dual voice replied, "No Goku, they just happened to be able to teach it. Of course they know it! Weren't you listening!" Her voice reached Chichi-esque volumes.

"How long does the fusion last?" Piccolo asked; Goku had been non-specific on the details.

"Traditionally, half an hour," she replied, "But because Oran and Lime are twins, _my_ fusion lasts a whole hour."

From the doorway, Yamcha asked, "Why do you refer to yourself in the third person?"

She turned to look at him. "I don't. I am neither Oran nor Lime."

"Then who are you?" He asked.

The girl smirked. "I am the sum of their parts. I am Liran."

_-And a thousand words-_

_-One thousand confessions-_

"How come your fusion lasts longer than normal?" Yamcha asked curiously.

Liran shrugged again. "The only way to explain it would be to explain the very essence of the Fusion Technique itself."

"We've got time," Piccolo's gruff voice pointed out. "As you yourself have stated, we've got an hour until the fusion wears off, so we have an hour to wait until you can start training the boys."

"So _I'm_ training them now am I? Figures," Liran grumbled to herself, before taking on her (their?) father's patented lecturing tone. "The fusion can only be achieved when two people of similar traits synchronise their bodies completely through the Fusion Dance; breathing, heart rate, everything. When the bodies of these two people combine, a new, hybrid body is formed; that much you already know."

"What about-" Goku began.

_-Will cradle you-_

"I'm getting to that!" Liran snapped irritably. "The minds of the two people, however, cannot be properly fused, so a new mind is born with the memories and abilities of both; thus, a fused person has a different personality to his or her original two. The soul, however, cannot be fused together, and this is where the time limit comes into it. Simply put, two souls can not survive in the one body for too long."

"They'd repel each other like two magnets of the same charge," Trunks piped up, pleased to have actually understood what had been said.

"Exactly," Liran nodded. "The magic, if you can call it that, of the Fusion Dance allows two souls to cohabitate the same body for a period of time. The length of time is proportional to the strength of the bond between them."

"What do you mean 'bond'?" Yamcha asked oddly, looking warily at the assembled Saiyans.

_-Making all of the pain you feel seem far away-_

_-They'll hold you forever-_

Liran levelled him with a flat stare. "Like the bond of friendship, or between family members. Get your mind out of the gutter." Turning back to the non-perverts in the room, she continued, "Fusion can't happen between just anyone; there needs to be this bond for it to work. So, Goten and Trunks could fuse because they're best friends. Goku could fuse with Gohan because of the familial bond, or with Vegeta because of the bond of rivalry. Oran and Trunks, however, could not fuse, as there's nothing connecting them."

"So this bond, this connection, is the bridge that allows two people to fuse," Piccolo stated firmly.

"Correct." The fused girl nodded. "Now, because Oran and Lime are twins, there is already a bond between them stronger than normal; a part of their soul they share in common. Because of this increased commonality between their souls, their fusion - me - can exist for longer than half an hour."

"The stronger the bond, the longer the fusion..." Goku mused to himself, before being struck by the veritable thunderbolt of inspiration. "If you can remain fused for an hour, how long can Kaen and Pi stay fused?"

Liran shrugged. "No idea. The last time they fused was about two or three weeks before they bonded. There's no telling how long Kai can remain in existence; it may only be half an hour, it may be a lot longer. The only people who may know haven't deigned fit to share that information."

_-The dream isn't over yet-_

_-Though I often say I can forget-_

Videl sat on the ledge overlooking the Lookout, in the room atop the ornate palace, with her arms around her legs, and her head resting on her knees. She wasn't crying, but in the event the tears came, she wanted to make sure that no one saw it. Well, to be accurate, there _was_ one person who Videl would let see her cry; 'was' being in the past tense there.

Gohan was the only guy who had treated her like a regular human being for as long as she could remember. Even when she was young, her father was already famous, but when he won the title of World Champion, things just got worse. Then came Cell, and just when she thought life couldn't get more unbearable, it did. Erasa had been the one shining light through the dark times, until three months ago, when Gohan had started school, and chased away the night.

She'd hated him at first, because he treated her different, but somehow he managed to worm his way into her heart, and unlike the legions of fanboys she looked down at, he didn't even try to; it had just happened. Even now, Videl still wasn't sure just how he'd done it, or when it had happened, but somehow Gohan had gone from meaning nothing to her, to being a friend, to a good friend, to the centre of her world.

_-I still relive that day-_

Videl's concentration, and brooding, was broken suddenly when Bulma, sitting nearby, slammed her fists on the table before her, shouting, "It's just too hard...for me to believe! How could Gohan defeat something like Cell, but he couldn't stand up to that fat, disgusting..." The blue-haired scientist broke down in tears again. The unconscious Chichi lay nearby, her massive wall of muscle of a father fanning her slowly.

Videl scowled. The look only deepened as Gyu Mao replied, "Yes, it's hard to believe but it's true. Gohan is dead, and my poof Chichi... Now she's lost her husband _and_ her son."

_-You've been there with me all the way-_

_-I still hear you say-_

Videl shot to her feet, shouting, "Dead, dead, dead! I'm so sick of hearing you people say that!" She felt the tears coming now, but she refused to shed them through force of will alone. "We haven't even found a body yet, and you just stand around, defeated, like we've already buried him!" She levelled a glare at the entire room, looking quite fierce despite, or perhaps because of, the unshed tears in her eyes.

Silence permeated the room for a moment, before Krillin stated softly, "Videl, I'm sorry. I lost a friend too, but if we can't sense his life force anymore, then that means that, well, that he's passed on."

"Stop saying that!" The girl shouted, causing the former monk to jump. "You think I don't know how this works? But just because we can't sense them doesn't automatically mean they're dead! What about Kaen and Pi? We can't sense them either; does that mean they're dead?"

Krillin scratched his cheek, "Quite possibly."

"Okay, bad example," she grumbled under her breath. "What about Kat? Or her parents? Are they dead; we can't sense them either."

"Well, no," Krillin admitted begrudgingly, "But that's because that ship of theirs masks it, if they're even still on the planet."

_-"Wait for me, I'll write you letters"-_

_-I could see how you stammered with your eyes to the floor-_

"So you admit then that there are loopholes to your 'if we can't sense then, they're dead' theory?" Videl crowed triumphantly; well, as triumphantly as one could be while grieving.

Krillin sighed, and nodded. "Alright Videl. I admit there is a chance that Gohan may just be somewhere we can't sense him, but where would that be? The only places on the entire planet that are able to block our ki sense are the Saiyan ship, and the various Saiyan training rooms around the place; why and how would Gohan be there?"

"Well maybe he's not on this planet then," Videl countered.

"Oh really?" The older man replied. "Then where would he be?"

Thinking quickly, Videl responded. "Shin; I mean, the Supreme Kai. I dunno about you, but _I_ can't sense him anymore, so maybe _he_ took Gohan somewhere."

"Come on Videl," Krillin scoffed, "Why would the Supreme Kai take Gohan anywhere?"

_-But still I swore to hide the doubt when I turn back the pages-_

_-Anger might have been the answer-_

Planting his feet on either side of the sword, Gohan crouched his knees and reached down, grasping the hilt with both hands. "Here goes..." Giving it a few practice tugs, an idea suddenly came to him, and he released it again, asking, "I was wondering, what's supposed to happen when a person actually frees this?"

"The sword draws on its master's deepest hidden powers," Kibito answered. "The two become _one_ weapon, capable of cutting down even the mightiest of foes."

Gohan nodded his head appreciatively, joking, "Sounds like this sucker must be really sharp. Guess I'll have to be careful."

Not getting the joke, Kibito replied, "Don't worry. You can't free it."

"Kibito," Shin admonished, "We've all had our go trying to free it; let Gohan have his."

Grabbing the hilt again, Gohan muttered, "Here goes..."

_-What if I'd hung my head and said that I couldn't wait?-_

_-But now I'm strong enough to know it's not too late-_

"Gohan's still alive out there somewhere; I know it," Videl stated vehemently.

Casting a curious look in the girl's direction, Bulma asked, "Videl, what makes you so sure? I'm not saying you're wrong, but what makes you believe that?"

"I..." She paused, trying to sort out in her own mind exactly why she knew this to be fact. In the end, all she could say was, "I don't know. I just do." She placed a hand over her heart. "I can feel it somehow, almost like I can still sense him. I don't know why, but something tells me that if Gohan were dead, I'd know about it."

Bulma smiled. As the only person present with an in-depth understanding of Saiyans, she had a fairly good idea of what was going on, if her suspicions proved true. "Do you love him?" she asked softly, having not heard the girl's self-confession earlier.

Videl smiled back. "I do. I love him with all my heart." She sighed. "Maybe that's why I believe he's still alive. Maybe I'm just fooling myself, but I absolutely refuse to believe it." She walked over to the ledge again, leaning against it, before finishing quietly "He **can't** be gone before we ever had a chance together..."

_-'Cause a thousand words-_

_-Call out through the ages-_

Gohan's muscles strained as he tried to wrench the Z Sword free of its rocky prison, but the sword refused to budge an inch. At the corner of his vision, he noticed Kibito smirking at him, as if the minor god was pleased at his failure; this angered Gohan, and when Gohan got angry, there was only one logical conclusion.

With a roar, Gohan was wreathed in golden flames, his hair blonding, extending, and standing up rigid as the Super Saiyan transformation took over him. Kibito continued smirking, stating with every ounce of belief in his body, "Not even your Super Saiyan strength will be enough I'm afraid."

Not choosing to reply, Gohan grit his teeth and focused all his strength into his arms, blue lightning dancing around his hands where they grasped the sword, as he dipped further into his power. He heard Kibito taunting him again, saying, "Your efforts are in vain. If the Supreme Kai was unable to extract the sword, how can a simple mortal like yourself ever succeed?"

The smirk slipt off Kibito's face when Gohan's feet sank into the rock, and cracks began to splinter the surface of the spire's peak.

_-They'll fly to you-_

Bulma's smile remained strong. "Videl, if you truly believe that Gohan's still alive, then I'll believe in you."

"If you say so Bulma," Krillin replied sceptically; he may not have wanted to believe Gohan was dead, but the facts spoke clearly enough to him.

Videl turned to face the blue-haired genius, a smile on her face. "Thank you." Turning back to gaze over the Lookout again, she returned to her thoughts, he smile still on her face. 'Gohan... I know you're still out there somewhere. You promised me you'd come back to me safe and sound. I believe in you.'

_-Even though I can't see, I know they're reaching you-_

_-Suspended on silver wings-_

'I believe in you.' Somehow, these words rang out in Gohan's mind, as though Videl herself were standing next to him, whispering them in his ear. With a roar and a massive golden flare, Gohan felt his power increase exponentially, and with the sound of breaking rock, he leapt high into the air, the Z Sword trailing after him still firmly in his grasp.

"Gohan, you did it!" Shin cried triumphantly.

"The Z Sword is free!" Kibito gaped.

Still floating in the air, Gohan panted from effort, as he found his newfound power boost decreasing. He couldn't explain it, but he knew he'd heard Videl, and he also knew that it was from her voice, from her belief in him, that he found the strength to free the Z Sword. Clutching the hilt tighter, Gohan swore to himself, 'Videl, I promised you I'd come back safely. I intend to keep that promise. I will use this sword to end the threat of Majin Buu forever, so that we can live in peace. This I swear.'

_-Oh, a thousand words-_

_-One thousand embraces-_

_-Will cradle you-_

"Well Kibito, it would seem that you have underestimated our young friend." Shin was all smiles. The trio had landed on the bank of the lake, as Gohan tested the sword. "How does it feel Gohan, to hold the legendary Z Sword?"

"Let's see..." Gohan replied, tensing his arms as he forced himself to lift it; he had dropped out of Super Saiyan once they hit land. Giving it a few practice swings, albeit with much difficulty, he commented, "Hey, you know, I think I've figured out how I can use this thing to beat Majin Buu."

Shin blinked. "You have?"

"It's so heavy, if I can just get him to hold it he won't be able to move his arms," The Semi-Saiyan teen joked.

"How dare you make jokes?" Kibito roared incredulously. "Have you no respect for the power that is in your grasp? This sword is the ultimate weapon, and you removed it. Now you must master it. You must work harder than you ever have, because if you continue trembling the way you are now, your battle with Majin Buu will be over before it's begun!"

_-Making all of your weary days seem far away-_

_-They'll hold you forever-_

"Well Kibito, maybe _you'd_ like to give it a try?" Gohan offered, holding the sword out to him, his hands spaced far enough apart on the hilt for the minor god to take hold of it. "For _you_, this should be _no problem_." As soon as Gohan released the sword, Kibito fell forward, the Z Sword slamming heavily into the ground before Kibito released it, whereupon it flopped over, digging itself a hole in the ground in which to rest. "See? It's heavy."

"Oh, how embarrassing," Shin muttered quietly, as Kibito moved to try and wrench the sword from it's new resting place, and failed.

"You can't even lift it off the ground," Gohan observed, as Kibito slunk away in disgrace. Flaring into Super Saiyan, he commented, "I think I should probably start off using it like this. Once I've adapted to that, then I'll move on to using it in my normal form, otherwise we'll never get anything done." Grasping the sword firmly, Gohan dragged it off the ground, and using the basic sword-fighting techniques Trunks had taught him seven years ago, his training began.

_-Oh, a thousand words-_

_-Have never been spoken-_

"We don't have time to wait for Liran's fusion to wear off, so I'll teach you what I know before then, and Oran and Lime can take over once they're back to normal again," Goku stated. "Just remember, even if you guys do manage to do a fusion, it'll only last for half an hour, and once it wears off, you can't do another one for a while. You follow me?"

"Argh, thirty minutes isn't long enough for this kind of fight..." Piccolo scoffed.

"Actually," Liran corrected, "If they do it right, and the fusion gives them enough of a power boost, then there's a chance it _might_ be enough, but they're gonna need to train to make sure they get that boost."

Nodding, Goku turned back to the two boys. "Okay, I need you to become Super Saiyans for this." The boys just glared at him. He blinked, asking curiously, "What's wrong?"

"Listen," Trunks began. "We wanna know. You're supposed to be the strongest guy in the universe or something right? So why weren't you there? Why weren't you there to save Gohan? Or my dad?"

_-They'll fly to you-_

"I'm sorry Trunks," Goku replied softly.

"What?" The lavender haired child barked. "You're sorry? You could have helped! 'I'm sorry' isn't going to bring back my dad!"

"Gohan always told me that you could do anything," Goten continued in a betrayed voice, "So why didn't you save him from that Buu monster? Why didn't you save him?"

For once, it appeared that Goku had no reply to that. Angrily, Piccolo shouted, "Don't just stand there, say something!"

_-They'll carry you home and back into my arms-_

_-Suspended on silver wings ohhhh-_

"What _can_ I say?" Goku replied to the green man, before turning his attention back to the boys. "Look, I wish I _was_ the strongest guy in the universe. Then I could've helped. But I'm not. I can't beat Majin Buu. But, with the Fusion Technique, I know the two of you can!"

"That makes one of us Goku," Liran cut in. When Goku turned around to face her, she continued, "I know what you're thinking. You're wondering 'if she thinks it's so hopeless, why is she helping?' Well I'll tell you why: I've got nothing left." Everyone stared at the girl in shock at those words.

"What do you mean by that?" Piccolo asked.

"My parents have fled the planet, taking our people with them, and my brother and sister, the two people who mean the world to me, are missing. Stopping Babidi and Buu is all I have left, and as hopeless as it may be, I intend to go down fighting." She turned to face the two boys. "So, what about you? Do you intend to cower up here, waiting for the end to come for you, or are you willing to learn fusion, and take revenge on the monsters that have taken everything from us?"

Trunks folded his arms, turning to Goten and stating, "I'm game. What about you?" The younger boy nodded, and all of them turned their attention back to Goku.

_-And a thousand words-_

_-Call out through the ages-_

Before Goku could say a word, haunting laughter echoed in their ears, as the disembodied voice of Babidi shouted, _"Your attention please Earthlings. It's me again, the great wizard Babidi, along with my faithful counterpart Majin Buu. The two of us have been out doing a little sightseeing, and what a glorious sight we've found. A perfect place for Majin Buu to grab a little snack. I here the local cuisine is to die for. Of course, what he was really looking for was some Ma Junior, Goten, and Trunks ala mode, but I guess we'll just have to make do."_

"Why is that wizard guy talking about us?" Trunks asked.

Eyes screwed shut, Goten replied, "I dunno, but if you close your eyes you can see him too!"

"Don't do it!" Piccolo barked, "Don't close your eyes!" Of course, Trunks did it, and the two watched in horror as Majin Buu turned everyone in the city into chocolate, and began eating them.

_-They'll cradle you-_

_-Turning all of the lonely years to only days-_

They watched as Majin Buu seemed to surprise itself by becoming full, before he destroyed the remaining chocolate bars, and most of the city, with one massive explosion. "No..." Piccolo growled to himself, "They'll destroy it all..."

_"Well, the fun is over here,"_ Babidi announced. _"It seems that Majin Buu is actually full for once, so I guess the next city will have to settle for being pummelled into oblivion. Okay, time for us to move on."_

"Babidi! Majin Buu!" Trunks shouted, and he watched in his mind as the two stopped in mid air. "Can you here me? This is Trunks."

"And I'm Goten," the boy beside him added.

_"So, you two have finally decided to find some courage,"_ Babidi taunted.

"No, we've decided to find you," Trunks replied, "and you don't wanna know what we have in store for that day."

"It won't be pretty," Goten added firmly.

"You two, stop talking to him or he'll find us!" Piccolo barked.

_"Hellooo! Where are you boys? Where'd you go? Come out, come out, wherever you are!"_ Babidi's voice laughed.

A battle-smirk on his face, Goku stated firmly, "I think it's time we got started, whaddya say?" With a pair of nods, the lesson began.

_-They'll hold you forever-_

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

Gyu Mao is Ox King (Chichi's father), for those who haven't seen the term before.

Well, this chapter seemed to drag on a lot longer than I'd thought it would, yet it still ended before I'd planned it to. Guess it just goes to show you really can't predict these things.

Bit of a late update, but this time it is totally not my fault. Now, while you people over in America probably won't even notice that it's late, down here we had a power failure last night, before I could update. Thus, the chapter is 9 hours late. Hopefully it's worth the wait :D


	31. D07B: Forsaken

--- Disturbance, Book 2: Divergence ---

Chapter D07-B - Forsaken

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-I'm over it-  
-You see I'm falling in the vast abyss-_

This day was truly not turning out as Babidi had envisioned it. In his mind, once he freed Majin Buu he should have acquired a completely loyal servant who would crush all who stood in his way, helped his avenge his father, and conquer the known universe; probably a good part of the unknown universe too. In his mind, by now he should have killed the Supreme Kai, destroyed the planet, and left to start his conquest over all that is.

Instead, his ship had been destroyed by another of his servants, and that same servant had brought friends that had swooped in, hurt Buu, and cut him in half, before blowing Majin Buu into tiny bits; fortunately, his pet monster truly _was_ as unstoppable as he'd heard. Now, while Babidi was extremely pleased with what he'd seen for the 'crushing all who stood in his way' part, the 'completely loyal' part left much to be desired, and as much as he enjoyed the power trip that came with riding around on Majin Buu's back, he was seriously reconsidering his choice of travel.

First, they had flown over some city on this backwater planet, and he had announced that this was the perfect place to begin their search, but Buu, it seemed, paid him no attention. Instead, Majin Buu had flown straight through an office building, crashing through everything in his way, and causing Babidi to be struck in the head by books, coffee mugs, stacks of paper, and other assorted office supplies, which was, to say the least, irritating.

Then, when they had reached the next city, this one considerably larger and more populated, Majin Buu had broken into a cake shop and proceeded to stuff his face for about five minutes, before he had convinced the bloated pink monster to destroy the blue people outside; if he remembered rightly, they called themselves police, but whatever they were they were some kind of authority figure.

That done, Babidi had managed to drag Buu away before he resumed stuffing his face, but now his pet was constantly whinging about how he was hungry. As they reached the next city, Babidi felt a smile come to his face. He had the perfect idea how to bring those pests out of hiding, _and_ sate Buu's appetite at the same time.

_-Clouded by memories of the past-  
-At last, I see-_

"Son, is that you?" The newly deceased warrior landed before the speaker. "After all these years, has the Vegeta line finally come to an end?"

He'd been flying around fairly aimlessly before he heard the speaker calling out to him. Even after all these years, Vegeta easily recognised the man; the crown of black hair and the thick beard were major giveaways. He nodded his head, saying simply, "Father."

Said father's face twisted into a slight frown. "Now then boy, I may be your father, but having defeated my ancestors in civil combat I am still your king, and I demand the proper respect, even from you. Now, do you have anything else to tell me?"

Vegeta smirked. "As a matter of fact I do." Darting forward, he drove his knee into his father's stomach. "That was for being a lousy king, leading our race down a path to destruction." Grabbing the back of his father's head, he kneed him in the face, causing the older man to reel back. "That was for being a lousy Saiyan, selling your soul to our most hated enemy." Grabbing his father's shoulder, he then proceeded to drive his knee into his father's crotch. "And _that_ is for being a lousy father!"

"**Finally**," one of the nearby Saiyans muttered. "I've been waiting for someone to do that for _years_."

Vegeta strode over to the speaker, taking in his odd tri-point hair. "Why didn't you do it yourself?"

The Saiyan snorted. "Are you kidding? He's stronger than me."

One of Vegeta's eyebrows rose. "You're not much on the whole 'respect' thing are you?"

He shrugged. "I served under Frieza. Kinda tends to kill all respect for supposed 'authority figures'."

The other eyebrow went up. "Really? You'll have to tell me about that some time; I don't remember you from Frieza's service. In the meantime however, who can direct me towards the albino bitch?"

"My lord?" A gravely voice called out from behind him, bowing formally, "I think I know where he is."

Vegeta turned to the speaker, a smirk coming back to his face. "Unfamiliar words from a familiar face. You must be Bardock."

_-I hear it fading-  
-I can't speak it, or else you will dig my grave-_

'This is it,' Babidi thought to himself, as he gazed out across the city below him from his vantage point on the cliffside, 'It's time to show these useless humans who's in charge around here.' Casting an eye at the pink monster beside him, he barked, "Snap out of it you big baby! What's the matter with you?"

"Buu still hungry," the pink thing whinged.

"All those sweets are just empty calories," Babidi replied dismissively. "I've got something more satisfying. We'll give those meddlers their just desserts." Focusing his magic, he projected his voice into the minds of others. "People of Earth! Can you hear me? Testing, one, two. I am the all-seeing all-knowing all-powerful wizard Babidi! Son of the all-seeing all-knowing all-powerful wizard Bibidi."

Babidi felt a smirk come to his face as he felt their reactions. "Now now, no peeking. There's no sense searching for me; you're not even close! I'm using my unprecedented magical ability to transport my words directly to you, the people. I'm so sorry to bother you like this, especially if you're having an otherwise pleasant day; I do know what it's like to be pestered while having fun!" He started joking and sarcastic, but ended in an angry yell.

"You see, earlier today five nuisances did just that!" He continued angrily, "Now I'm simply looking to return the favour. Now, sit back, relax, and enjoy my show. Please be courteous and remember that silence is golden, okay?" Focusing his magic, Babidi projected the images of the five that troubled him into the peoples' minds. "I now present the stars of my own personal nightmare. These are the five cretins that I'm looking for. Get a good look at their ugly mugs, for they are the ones responsible for any and all destruction that may come your way!"

"Come out you cowards, unless of course you're scared of little old me," Babidi taunted, "I've got a preview of what's in store for you if you refuse to show your faces." Suddenly remembering something, Babidi added, "Oh but wait, first allow me to introduce myself." Sending more images, he continued, "The handsome devil you now see is none other than me, the great wizard Babidi. And this is my faithful servant Majin Buu, the heavyweight champion of the universe. He may not seem like much, but he's actually quite unstoppable."

With another flex of his magical might, the 'view' changed to essentially a magical camera, filming Babidi, Buu, and the city before them. "Now, do you see this city? It looks like a lovely place doesn't it? Well it's citizens are about to get a special sneak preview of the high cost of your cowardice while you look on from your hiding place!"

In a joking tone of voice, Babidi announced, "The following material is of a violent nature and may be considered quite gratuitous. Enjoy. This program has been sponsored by those five." Turning to the monster beside him, while still on 'camera', he finished, "Let the fun begin Majin Buu!"

_-You feel them finding; Always whining-  
-Take my hand now; Be alive-_

With a flex of his power, and an excited whoop, Majin Buu lifted the population of the city into the sky; thousands, tens of thousands, maybe even millions of humans held aloft by his will alone. That done, Buu thought out loud, "Hmm... What Buu want for eat... Oh, Buu eat too much cake..." An idea struck him suddenly, and so decided, he flung forward his head tentacle and fired off a pink beam, which expanded rapidly to cover the entire human populace in seconds. "Oh yes! Yes! Buu want candy!"

A few seconds of panicked and pained screams later, the entire city's population had been turned into candy drops, still floating in the air. With a grin, Buu opened his mouth and began inhaling; due to the fact he didn't actually have lungs, inhaling just meant he started blowing up like a balloon. However, the massive vacuum created by his breath began drawing in the mass of candy balls spread across the cityscape. As they approached, Buu narrowed his mouth, and thus the stream of air, so the candy balls would all fly into his mouth, and within seconds, he had them all contained in his elastic mouth.

Majin Buu gave a series of exaggerated massive bites on the mass of candy, before swallowing the lot of them in one go, his stomach bulging appropriately from the increased weight. As Buu sighed, satisfied for now, Babidi announced, "This is but a small taste of what will happen if you don't surrender." After cackling for a few moment, he continued, "It's such a shame. This city is useless if there are no people in it." Beside him, Majin Buu nodded his agreement. "Let's fix that. All these old buildings are spoiling my view. Go ahead Majin Buu, clean up this town. Just don't overdo it; we wouldn't want the whole planet to disappear!"

Whooping gleefully, Majin Buu shouted, "Okay! Okay!" Taking another deep breath, and swelling up until the point where he was more gut than anything else, he exhaled forcefully, pumping a good deal of ki into the breath, and the pink-tinted stream of energy that left his mouth proved to be anything but harmless. Turning from side to side, Buu sprayed the city with his ki breath, leaving trails of explosions and purple smoke in his wake, before, as he ran out of breath, the entire city was covered.

As the smoke cleared, Majin Buu patted its stomach, and the city was revealed to be naught but rubble. Smirking evilly, Babidi commented to the 'camera', "That's more like it. It's what I'll do to those five meddlers too. So one last reminder!" He transmitted the images of the people he sought one more time. "There's really no point in protecting them. They are _not_ your friends. They are spineless cowards. If they valued your lives at all they would have already turned themselves over to me. Obviously they don't; well, shame on them I say!"

Moving the 'camera' until it showed both Buu and himself, with the ruined city behind them, he made his offer, "You now have an opportunity to teach these selfish brats a lesson. One chance to stand up for your self worth and for Earthlings everywhere. It's simple really: just tell me where they are! By the way, you have five days to measure the importance of your meagre little lives; take too long and I'll have Buu annihilate you all!"

Remembering something else, he added, "Oh yes, there's one more important thing. You _will_ need to contact me so I'll tell you how you can. If you have some information for me I can hear you. Start talking and I'll hear you inside my head. I'm listening, so speak up now. If you tell me where those uncaring louts are hiding, I might even spare you." Babidi waited a few moments, and was surprised when he got a reply within seconds, but that surprise quickly turned to annoyance when all the guy could tell him were the names of three of them; Ma Junior, Goten, and Trunks. With a burst of his power, he destroyed the man, before announcing, "No rest for the wicked. I've got to keep you humans on your toes, so perhaps a little more destruction is in order. Majin Buu, let's go!"

_-You see I cannot be forsaken, because I'm not the only one-  
-We walk amongst you, feeding, raping-  
-Must we hide from everyone?-_

"This is getting ridiculous..." Kaen growled to himself. The battle across the Mindscape, more like a three person war by this point, had raged on for what felt like two hours; there was no telling how long it had actually been though because, like Otherworld, time passed differently here than in the living world. After however long it had been, however, the fight showed no time of ending soon.

"You're telling me," Pi replied from beside him, the two staring their opponent down. Thanks to the Majin magicks, Phoenix could probably continue to fight forever, and any damage they managed to do to him healed quickly. However, as they had discovered, Kaen was able to 'imagine' things into existence, such as the shield wall that had protected Pi, or the Jacob's Ladder that had recharged Kaen's energy before.

Phoenix, however, seemed to lack Kaen's ability to manipulate the Mindscape, either due to his lack of imagination, or simply the fact this was Kaen's head, not his. This ability of Kaen's evened the power difference between him and Phoenix, in fact throwing the dark shadow on the back foot, but Pi too lacked this ability, thus much of Kaen's attention went into keeping Pi safe. In other words, the two teams were dead even.

Without turning her eyes away from the stare-down with Phoenix, Pi stated resolutely, "We've got to do something to break this stalemate."

"I'm open to suggestions." For a while, Kaen had used his control over the Mindscape to summon up stuff like demons and dragons to fight for him, but Phoenix had quickly found a way to dispel those, so instead he saved his 'summonings' for defence.

"We could always try the Fusion Tech-"

"No, out of the question," Kaen cut her off, "If we fuse here, there's a chance you'll cease to exist."

"I'm prepared to take that chance," Pi replied, her voice calm and determined.

"Well I'm not." Kaen's tone was final

"Why not Kaen? Give me one good reason."

"I'll give you two," he replied, "One: I am not going to risk spending the rest of my life without you. Two: I am not going to risk spending the rest of my life as Kai." Despite the fact he too didn't look away from Phoenix, the feelings Kaen sent her through the bond were as reassuring as if he'd taken her hand and was staring deep into her eyes. "We'll find some way to kill this guy. I just ask you to trust me."

Pi smiled. "You don't even need to ask for that."

_-I'm over it-  
-Why can't we be together, erase it?-_

"Your attention please Earthlings!" Babidi announced, once again using his magic to broadcast the feed of himself and Buu, this time floating directly above the target city he had selected; this city was at least twice the size of the last one. "It's me again, the great wizard Babidi, along with my faithful counterpart Majin Buu. The two of us have been out doing a little sightseeing, and what a glorious sight we've found. A perfect place for Majin Buu to grab a little snack. I here the local cuisine is to die for. Of course, what he was really looking for was some Ma Junior, Goten, and Trunks ala mode, but I guess we'll just have to make do."

Cupping a hand to his ear, he taunted, "You all know what I want. I'm listening. Which means you still have time to tell me where my quarry is hiding. I'll give you until I finish speaking this sentence. Too late! Ha, it looks like Buu gets to have that snack. Yes, but what should he eat? I'm sure that he's had more than enough candy for one day. Hold on, I think I know just the thing to hit the spot: chocolate!"

Majin Buu seemed to find this idea very agreeable, letting out an excited whoop as he started lifting the people. Due to the size of the city, and the fact they were floating over it, Buu actually had to turn several times to lift everyone in the city. Wiping some drool from his mouth, Buu growled with barely contained glee, "Buu want... chocolate!"

A wave of multicoloured light blasted from his head tail, turning everyone it hit into chocolate. Hollering excitedly, Buu turned the beam on everyone in turn, sweeping across the city and transforming the entire populace, until all that remained were bars of chocolate with humanoid shaped on them vaguely resembling the people they had once been. With a flick of what passed for a wrist, Buu drew the chocolate bars towards him, and began feasting.

_-Sleeping so long, taking off the mask-  
-At last, I see-_

"Man, that Majin Buu's really stirring up some shit down there," Truniz commented offhandedly. From their position outside Earth's atmosphere, they were out of range of Babidi's magic. That didn't, however, mean they couldn't watch what was going on, thanks to the planetscape cameras. Turning to his brother, he asked, "You planning on doing something about that bro?"

"We probably should," Avarrdo remarked.

"Vegeta is dead, Gohan, Kaen and my daughter are missing, and all of Earth's hope rests on the shoulders of one dead Saiyan, one Namek, and four children. Truly, the situation does look bleak," Kellre observed.

"All hope is not lost though," Raene argued.

With a nod, April added, "We must give the kids a chance to defeat Buu themselves."

"And there's a chance Gohan, Kaen or Pi'll show up to stomp the pink bubblegum monster," Kat piped up.

Avarrdo nodded. "That is true. However, we must not pin all of our hope on a long shot."

Signalling his agreement, Kellre continued, "There is one thing we can do: The Hyperspace Cannon."

"So, 'nuke the site from orbit, it's the only way to be sure'?" Truniz remarked, quoting one of his favourite Earth movies.

When the older men nodded, April was quick to voice her protests; after all, she had all three of her children down there. "But, the kids-"

"As much as I hate to say it," Avarrdo stated, "If we are forced to do this, that will mean they have already lost their lives to this monster."

"How do you know this cannon'll destroy Buu anyway?" Kat asked, "He's already proven he can heal from a massive explosion."

"The pulse from the Hyperspace Cannon, as you may or may not know, destabilises the core of the planet, which generally results in the planet exploding, much like I assume happened to Planet Namek, based on what Gohan, Vegeta and Kakarott have told us. However, it can also be amplified and modulated to increase the density of the core, increasing gravity at an exponential rate until it implodes the planet and creates a localised singularity."

"An explosion of significant magnitude is still potentially a better choice," Avarrdo argued, "The cannon can output an explosive pulse of greater strength much faster, and even this monster will not be able to regrow from the atomic level."

"Can you be sure of that?" Kellre countered. "What can be guaranteed, however, is that even should he be able to regenerate, the intense pressure of the singularity will prevent him from escaping. Surely even you can agree that, in this case if none other, implosion would be the better offer over explosion?"

Avarrdo opened his mouth to argue, before snapping it shut again with an audible click. Through grit teeth he growled out, "I hate it when you're right; makes me so angry."

Kellre grinned. "Then you must be angry all the time."

Truniz smirked. "Must be where the runt gets it from."

The mood quickly sobering, Kellre cast his gaze around the room, asking, "So we're in agreement then?" No one voiced any objections, although there were obvious signs from the women in the room that this wasn't a decision they would support. "So be it then. I will begin charging the cannon to implode Earth. It will take a full eight hours to charge, and from that point, we will have forty hours before the energy must be discharged, either harmlessly, or... otherwise."

With a single curt nod, Avarrdo remarked, "So what remains of Earth's finest have two days to put an end to Majin Buu, or we will."

_-My fear is fading-  
-I can't speak it, or else you will dig my grave-_

Surrounded by floating chocolate bars, with chocolate smeared across his pudgy pink face, Buu paused in his sugar feast to belch. Looking at the half bar left in his hand for a moment, Buu looked down to his stomach, rubbing and tapping it a few times as if testing something, before the pink monster came to the only logical conclusion; despite the fact there was still food left to be eaten, he was full, and could eat no more.

After crushing the bar in his hand, Buu waved his arms around to direct the chocolate, sending it back into the city whence it came, before pointing a single finger and firing a blast after it. The simple blast formed a pink done of energy that turned the buildings inside it into molten slag, before expanding outwards in a jump to cover, and thus destroy, half the city.

As Buu rubbed his full stomach amidst the sickly pink glow of the remaining explosion, Babidi commented, "Well, the fun is over here. It seems that Majin Buu is actually full for once. I guess that means the next city will have to settle for being pummelled into oblivion. Okay, time for us to move on."

Babidi and Buu began to fly away from the smoking crater that was once the heart of the city, before an angry voice shouted in his mind. _"Babidi! Majin Buu! Can you here me? This is Trunks."_

_"And I'm Goten!"_ A second voice added.

Pausing in his flight, Babidi taunted, "So, you two have finally decided to find some courage."

The first voice, the one that identified itself as Trunks, shouted back, _"No, we've decided to find you, and you don't wanna know what we have in store for that day."_

_"It won't be pretty."_ The second voice added again.

Babidi floated there, waiting for them to comment again, but it would appear they had decided to shut up; that, or someone made them shut up. "Hellooo! Where are you boys? Where'd you go? Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Babidi taunted, but it appeared there would be only silence from the boys, so, annoyed, Babidi and Buu continued on.

_-You feel them finding; Always whining-  
-Take my hand now; Be alive-_

"So you've met my wayward son then have you?" The gravely voice of the deceased legend asked.

Flying along beside him, Vegeta turned to face Bardock, asking, "You've met him? How?"

"Every year on Halloween, the Kais hold a special tournament, each selecting one fighter from their section of Hell, and one fighter from their section of Heaven, and they battle it out on the Grand Kai's planet."

"What do you mean 'sections of Heaven and Hell'?" If this was to be Vegeta's new home for the rest of eternity, he wanted to know how it worked.

"Otherworld is divided up the same way the universe is." Bardock explained, "Heaven and Hell are divided up into sections by galaxy, then into smaller sections by quadrants; souls from the North Quadrant of the universe spend their eternal rest in either the North Quadrant of Heaven or Hell. These Quadrants are, like the universe, overseen by the Kais. King Yemma merely passes judgement on incoming souls; he contains little real power past that task."

Vegeta nodded, satisfied with the answer, before returning to the original question asked. "Yes, I have had dealings with your youngest son."

"Meaning he defeated you in battle," Bardock inputted, a grin on his face.

Vegeta scowled. "Yes, that's right. Still, he's far too human to be a truly great Saiyan. Your grandson, however, is a different story. There is much potential in him."

"How strong could a half-Saiyan child be?" Bardock asked. Unlike most Saiyans, Bardock wasn't repulsed at the idea of Saiyans breeding with what many thought of as 'inferior species'; he was a scientist, and like all scientists, curious before sceptical.

"Strong enough to destroy a space pod, and seriously injure Radditz at age four. Strong enough to go toe-to-toe with Frieza in his second and third forms at age six. Strong enough to reach not only Super Saiyan, but find a second level at age eleven. Strong enough to defeat a monster that could easily take down his father not once, but twice." Vegeta's voice was full of pride for his fellow Saiyan. "He was born under the human name Gohan, but for his achievements in battle, he was awarded the Saiyan name Cellotto."

"Cellotto huh?" Bardock replied. "No doubt named after that creature Cell? I take it that was the monster he defeated twice?"

"You know of Cell?" Vegeta asked.

Bardock nodded. "Indeed I do. The creature hangs around Frieza, and his ilk." Pointing, he added, "In fact, that's them down there."

Vegeta clapped the scarred fighter on the shoulder. "Thanks for the tour. Now, feel free to sit back and enjoy the show." Flaring straight into his newly acquired Super Saiyan 2, before diving down to the group by the Crystal Lake.

"Well well well, if it isn't Vegeta," Cell's bass voice taunted. "I knew you'd show up here sooner or later. Back for another go?"

In a flash of movement, Vegeta sent Cell flying up towards the yellow clouds that were the sky, where he impacted harshly before splashing down in the blood-red lake. "I'm not interested in you," Vegeta replied to the now-unconscious monster. "I'm here for Frieza." Having seen the fallen prince drop the most powerful fighter around with a single blow, the Ginyu Force took flight, leaving Frieza to his fate; they were loyal until death, meaning they were only loyal now because of convenience. With a grin, Vegeta cracked his knuckles. "Let's get this party started."

_-You see I cannot be forsaken, because I'm not the only one-  
-We walk amongst you, feeding, raping-  
-Must we hide from everyone?-_

Having reached the third target city, Babidi decided it was time to let Majin Buu have some fun; not that turning people into food and eating them before destroying their city wasn't fun and all. Hopping off Buu's back, Babidi gave him free reign to do whatever he wanted to the city, so long as the planet survived.

Buu opened his rampage by slamming his way through every tall building in the city he could find, leaving a trail of explosions in his wake, before he grew tired of that game, tearing the domes room off the top of one spire and hurling it at the nearest building. People screamed in terror, fleeing from the destruction as fast as they could, before Buu blasted out the base of another tower, causing the falling building to crush them all.

Turning around, Majin Buu spotted a van racing away at high speed across the nearby highway overpass, weaving in between crashed and abandoned cars as it's driver tried to flee the city. Landing in front of it, Buu raised his foot to stop the truck, the spongy material he was made out of cushioning the crash rather than folding the truck, as he brought it to a total stop.

Pressing himself against the windscreen, Buu laughed tauntingly at the terrified driver for a moment, before putting one foot on the bumper and bouncing the van up and down, cheering "Boing" repetitively as he did so. Soon enough, however, that got boring too, thus, laughing a childishly evil laugh, Buu slammed his palm into the front of the van, sending it flying backwards on it's end until it slammed into an abandoned car, before flipping off the bridge to land on it's roof, an explosion following shortly after.

_-You see I cannot be forsaken, because I'm not the only one-  
-We walk amongst you, feeding, raping-  
-Must we hide from everyone?-_

In her white mansion, far away from the carnage taking place, a familiar rotund orange-haired harpy woman sat before her big screen TV, watching the footage shot by the brave newscasters in Babidi and Buu's latest city of destruction. On either side of her were her two sons, Idassa and Ikosa. The footage of Buu fooling around with the truck played across the screen as the newsman declared, "In their attempts to find the elusive Ma Junior, Goten and Trunks, the evil Majin Buu, along with the wizard Babidi, continue to devastate the world. Whenever will this madness end?"

"Oh, what an oogy mess," the woman remarked in her nasal voice. "I wish someone would just turn those three cowards in." A thought finding purchase in the vacuum of her head, she mused, "Hm... Could it be?" Thinking back to the competition, she remember the boy who beat her Idassa being named Trunks, and another boy named Goten beating Ikosa. "My goodness. People all across the world are dying, and it's all because those little hooligans won't show their face! If I knew where he was I'd tell Babidi myself!"

"I know mom," Idassa commented. "The purple-haired kid lives in Capsule Corp. in West Capitol."

"You sure about that?" His mother asked.

Idassa nodded, "He's the Briefs boy."

"Then we should all three concentrate," She replied, turning to her younger son. "You hear me Ikosa? We should try to reach Babidi with our minds."

_-Everyone-_

Babidi smiled in satisfaction as he gazed over the ruined cityscape, as Buu flew back to his side; the day might not have turned out like he'd planned, but it sure was entertaining! "Now, where should we go next..." He mused to himself.

_"Babidi! Babidi, can you hear me?"_ A shrill voice sounded in his mind. Focusing on the person contacting him, he heard her say, _"I think you should know that Trunks lives at the Capsule Corporation in West Capitol. Now you can go there and give that little hoohah what he has coming to him!"_

His mouth twisting into a sour look, Babidi commented, mostly to himself, "Who is this..."

Thanks to his magic, he could see into the woman's home, as she stood from her plush red leather chair and replied, _"Why, I'm the head of the PTA at my son's school, so it's my duty to do what I can to end this whole silly situation! Besides, that dirty little Trunks cheated at the tournament today and stole the title from my son Idassa! Of course my boy was feeling a little under the weather, or I'm sure he would have pounded that stupid little boy into mincemeat! I told him that's no excuse; I'm raising champions, not losers you know. That's not important really; what is important is that you go and teach him the lesson he-"_

A hand held to his head at the headache the woman's voice induced, teeth clenched in anger and agony, Babidi ignored Buu capering in the background. However, he couldn't stand hearing the woman's screechy voice for one more second so he shouted, "Shut up! I thank you for sending me this wonderful information, but if I hear your annoying screech of a voice again I WILL KILL YOU!"

Tuning the woman's voice out, Babidi felt a smile come to his face despite the pain in his head. He finally knew where to go, and even if Trunks wasn't home, this should certainly bring him out of hiding.

_-Everyone!-_

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

Man, this chapter took forever to write. I literally only fnished writing it about 5 minutes before posting this. Now, that leaves me with a week to write the next chapter. Fortunately, once I get that done, I've got 4 out of the next 5 chapters already written.


	32. D08: Deify

--- Disturbance, Book 2: Divergence ---

Chapter D08 - Deify

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-All my devotion betrayed-_

"As you've already seen from Oran and Lime's demonstration earlier, the Fusion Technique is kinda like a dance," Goku explained, in a rarely used lecturing tone. "You have to perform a specific series of movements, and your timing has to be right on. It's not that difficult to learn, but it does take a lot of practice, so, if you're ready, we'll begin."

"I should point out," Liran added from behind the older-but-younger man, "If you screw up the sequence one of two things'll happen. The fusion either won't happen, or it will happen, just not correctly."

"What the hell do you mean by 'it won't happen correctly'?" Trunks asked.

Liran just smiled. "It's not something you can really explain; you've gotta experience it yourself to truly understand it."

Goku cut the kids off before the argument he could sense coming could form. "Alright then, both of you go Super Saiyan." With a nod between them, Trunks burst into his ascended form, followed closely by Goten. "Okay, now we're getting somewhere. Next step, raise your levels as high as they can go."

Trunks smirked, casting a quick glance at Goten before saying, "Well, he asked for it, right?" When the younger boy signalled his agreement, the two let out a yell, their auras bursting into life around them as they brought all their power to the fore.

_-I am no longer afraid-_

"What is that?" Videl asked no one in particular, as she heard a steadily rising rumbling noise. Around her in the Lookout's courtyard, flakes of dust were crumbling away from the pillars and floating in the air, and the water in the pitcher she was carrying for Mr. Popo began rippling as if a series of drops were falling in the direct centre, albeit more violently. "Uh, what's going on you guys?"

Nearby, Krillin smiled. "Don't worry, it's just Goten and Trunks powering up. You haven't really seen the effects of even one person powering up have you Videl?" The girl shook her head. "Well, you'll find this sort of thing happens a lot. It doesn't help that Goten and Trunks are really strong for their age."

"Not surprising," Bulma added, "They do take after their fathers."

_-I was too blinded to see-_

"Ah, there's a sound I recognize," Popo commented to the nearby Dende. "It's comforting in a way isn't it?" Dende just chuckled a little in agreement. "It makes me think those boys can really do this."

Dende just nodded, letting out a regal-sounding "Yes."

_-How much you've stolen from me-_

Piccolo couldn't help but gape at the two boys; sure, he'd seen they were strong at the tournament, but he didn't know they were _this_ strong. "Amazing, and at their age." The two boys both wore smirks, their golden auras burning brightly around them, although Trunks' was a little larger than Goten's.

"Good," Goku nodded, "Now raise it to your maximums."

The satisfied smirk was replaced by a look of confusion as both boys replied, "Huh? We did."

"Oh. Well in that case, Trunks, your level's a little too high." Trunks laughed sneeringly at Goten. "If you want the fusion to work, both of your power levels must be exactly the same. Trunks, take yours down a bit to match Goten's."

"Right, take it down a bit. Heh." Dropping his power level slightly, and his aura shrinking to match, he asked, "So, something like this?"

Goku shook his head. "No, that's too low. A little bit more." Trunks raised his level a bit, but it still wasn't enough; however, after three more "More"s, the two boys power levels were equal. "There, that's perfect. Remember how that feels, that's exactly where you guys want to be. Great, now back to normal."

The two boys faded out of Super Saiyan, sighing in relief; it took a lot of effort to control their power levels to an exact amount. "Ugh, that's pretty tough," Trunks grumbled, "But why do I have to do all the work? Why can't Goten raise his level to match mine?"

"I'm sorry... I couldn't," Goten muttered sadly.

"Hey, it's alright son," Goku soothed, "Trunks is a little older than you, so it's only natural that his maximum is a little higher too. Alright then, let's continue."

_-You want to know why I feel so horrified?-_

"Pi, I've got a plan," Kaen whispered. For whatever reason, in this realm the two could no longer communicate telepathically, most likely because telepathy was mind-to-mind conversation, and currently, speaking regularly was technically mind-to-mind.

Taking her eyes of their opponent for a moment, Pi read everything she needed to from her mate's stance. After so many years of eating, sleeping, training, and working together, she didn't need words to understand what her mate was telling her; at least, she didn't when he _wanted_ to tell her something. With a nod, she flared her aura up to twice the size she needed, and raced forward, as Kaen slipped into stance behind her.

"Pathetic!" Phoenix shouted. "Are you so eager to die you come to me?" A brief scuffle between Pi and her mate's shadow ensued, before the possessed fighter picked up something the roar of Pi's aura hid. Batting her away like a fly, Phoenix quickly threw his arm forward, raising a shield to block Kaen's incoming blast; Chaos Inferno, also known as Inferno Blast, his trademark technique. "Your weakling attack will never break through my barrier!" In truth, the only reason Phoenix hadn't retaliated with a blast of his own was due to lack of time, something they'd been counting on.

"Oh yeah?" Pi declared from behind him. "Let's test that theory. Titan Cannon!"

He spun half around, flinging his other arm out and creating a second barrier; Pi had placed herself directly opposite of Kaen, forcing Phoenix to split his attention both ways. Focusing on his barrier, he shouted, "You shall never defeat me!"

Kaen and Pi just grit their teeth, focusing more power into their respective blasts. This was all or nothing; one way or another, this play would decide the winner.

_-I've let my innocence die-_

Goku cast his eyes across the two boys before him, standing to attention like a pair of soldiers awaiting orders. Hands on his hips, Goku gave them the orders they waited for. "This time, I want you to power up as much as you can without actually going Super Saiyan. It'll be easier to concentrate on learning if you're not under so much physical strain." From behind him, Liran snorted in amusement, but she didn't comment, so he let it slide.

Before either of the boys could even begin to carry out his instructions, the ethereal voice of Babidi announced, _"Attention Earthlings! Attention! Sorry to bother you once again, but I recently came across some information I couldn't wait to pass along."_ The group closed their eyes to see what was going on, but there wasn't really anything all that special about the city Babidi was above, save that it looked like it had just been through war.

Babidi continued, _"You know Trunks, I am very eager to meet you. If I can't get you to come to me, then _I'll_ just have to come to where _you_ live."_ The boy was visibly shaking with rage at this point. _"It's a place called Capsule Corporation, located in West Capitol. I hope that you're there to see me when I arrive, because if you're not, then your friends and your family will have to pay the price!"_

_-You want to know why I can't be pacified?-_

As the voice fell silent, Trunks was twitching with barely suppressed anger. "Darn! Somebody... somebody told that creep where I live! I can't let him get there; my grandpa and grandma are still at home!"

"Are you going?" Goten asked worriedly.

Before the boy could reply, Bulma raced in, shouting, "I just heard everything! My mother and father are going to be killed!"

"Don't worry about it," Goku replied confidently, "We can just bring them back with the dragon balls."

"Not without the dragon radar," Bulma replied, "In the rush you made us leave in, we left it behind, and if Majin Buu gets to West Capitol, you can kiss the radar goodbye."

"I'll go grab it," Liran piped up. "I can fly faster than any of you guys, and there's nothing for me to do here until my fusion wears off."

Bulma turned to the fused girl. "Do you even know what the dragon radar looks like?"

"Of course I... Not as such, no..." She trailed off.

_-You made me bury something-_

Turning to the lavender-haired child, Goku stated, "Trunks, listen up. I need you to go to Capsule Corp, and bring back the radar. You know what it looks like right?" The boy nodded slowly, "While you do that, I'll get in front of Babidi and Majin Buu, and try to slow them down. Maybe I'll even be able to talk them out of the attack entirely."

"Are you sure about that?" Trunks asked, "Those guys are pretty tough ya know. They're going to wanna fight back."

Goku smiled. "Slow down isn't stop. I'll be fine. Now, hurry up before they get ahead of you."

"I'm coming too," Liran stated. When the others turned to her in question, she added, "Hey, even dragging Trunks behind me I can still fly faster than everyone here. Now come on, time's a wastin'."

"Fly fast, and stay safe," Goten pseudo-asked resolutely.

With a nod, the two kids started running towards the edge of the Lookout. Pausing a second, Trunks asked himself, 'I wonder if I should even leave?' The decision was made for him when Liran, showing her older brother's trademark impatience, grabbed his wrist and began dragging him. Once they were far enough from the main building Liran leapt into the air, still dragging the off-balance Trunks behind her, and their image seemed to remain frozen in the air for a second before, with a flicker, a flash of light, and a sonic boom, they were gone.

_-I won't be sleeping tonight-_

Walking up to the green-skinned Guardian of the planet, Videl asked, "Did she just jump from zero to Mach 1 in under a second?"

"Mach 2 actually," he replied automatically, before turning to face the girl and holding out his hand, "Hi, I don't think we've been formally introduced. I'm-"

"Dende, Guardian of Earth," Videl cut him off. "You don't need to pretend. We met a month ago, remember?"

He looked at her curiously, "_You_ remember?" She nodded, a smirk on her face. "Ah. Well, any comment?"

"Let me just say this," Videl stated. "When I track Gohan down, he and I are going to have a _long_ talk." Dende didn't need to be human to tell that by 'talk' Videl meant she would talk, quite probably very loudly, while Gohan would listen whether he liked it or not. "Then Gohan is going to explain everything to me, and if I don't like his answers, I swear to You I'll kill him." (1)

Dende smiled. "I think you and I are gonna get along great."

_-I only wanted a blessing made-_

Goku walked over to the worried-looking Bulma who still stood in the doorway her son had exited. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he said, "Don't worry Bulma. Trunks is a resourceful little guy. He'll be alright."

"I know," she replied automatically, but her tone still sounded a touch doubtful.

"No I mean it," Goku pressed, "Vegeta isn't the only one of his parents he takes after you know."

That brought a smile to the blue-haired billionaire-ess. "Thank you."

Walking over to his youngest - now only (living) - son, Goku asked, "Goten, I want you to stay here and hold down the fort for me, okay?"

"'Kay," Goten chirped instantly.

"Good." Rubbing his son's head affectionately, Goku stated, "You're a good boy." Withdrawing his hand again, he placed two fingers to his forehead, searching for Babidi's location, before, with a sharp whistle, he disappeared.

_-Now I've been labelled a renegade-_

"No, too fast!" Babidi screeched, trying desperately to hold on to Majin Buu's purple bed sheet of a cape as the fat monster tore through the sky at high speed. "I can't hold on. Slow down! Please, slow down!" As if just to spite him, Buu did a loop-the-loop, before diving down to the city below and firing a few blasts randomly into the deserted streets below. Growing angry, the diminutive wizard shouted, "Will you quit playing around like a child and get me to West Capitol?"

"Okay, okay!" Buu muttered back, a glare on his face going unseen by Babidi. Flying away from the city, Buu screeched to a halt as a strange man in an orange outfit appeared in the air before him; his cape, and thus Babidi, were flung into the air above him for a moment before flopping back again behind him.

"What happened?" Holding his head, Babidi slowly floated out from behind his pet monster. "Why did you stop?"

Babidi's eyes opened in shock as he saw Goku floating a few feet in front of Buu, a confident battle-smirk on his face as he greeted coldly, "Hi."

"You're alive?" Babidi asked wondrously, "I was certain Vegeta had disposed of you."

"Well, it's hard to kill a man who's already dead," Goku shot back, cutting off whatever tirade Babidi was about to jump into.

"Well _good_," Babidi drawled, "I was afraid I wouldn't get to thank you for your help in freeing Majin Buu. I never would have been able to do it without you."

_-It seems so clear now what I must do-_

Goku scowled. "Vegeta and I both underestimated your monster. We didn't want to believe the stories were true. We never would have let you succeed if we knew he'd be this powerful." Buu laughed gleefully at the praise.

"Of course you wouldn't," Babidi sneered mockingly. "So, why did you come? Did you come to tell us how powerful we are? Because I assure you we already know that. Or, did you come to join our efforts?" Goku remained silent, letting Babidi rattle off his list. "Maybe... Maybe you came to tell me where the rest of the brats are."

"Don't be an idiot," Goku replied icily, "One of those kids is my son. I'm here to give you a warning."

"Warn us?" Babidi asked incredulously. "You came to warn us? Oh that's rich." Babidi started chuckling. "Oh I'm _so_ scared! Now this is something I think the whole planet should hear." Using his magic, Babidi began projecting the scene to the population of Earth.

"I want you to listen very carefully," Goku stated in a deadly serious tone, "The people you're looking for will appear soon enough. _That_ I promise. So if _I_ were you, I wouldn't touch another thing until they get here."

"Why should we wait?" Babidi asked mockingly, "Are they planning something special for us?"

"Yes," Goku smirked, "They're training to destroy Buu."

Babidi couldn't contain his laughter. "Defeat US? Hah!" Buu started laughing as well. "They could train for a thousand years and still not be stronger than the two of us."

"I didn't say anything about _you_" Goku stated dryly. "You're no threat to them; their will is too strong for your magicks, and without them, you're nothing but a weakling. Majin Buu is the real threat; without him, you're less than nothing."

Babidi growled. "How DARE you! You're going to pay for that! After we finish with you, we're going to kill everyone we find at this Capsule Corp, and everyone else on this planet if we have to, until those pests show themselves."

_-You're no immortal-  
-I won't let them deify you-_

"You know," Goku cut in, "Before you get to Capsule Corp, you're going to have to go through me."

Babidi laughed, "That's a good one. Well, you heard him Majin Buu, go through him. I suppose he wants to end up like his friend Vegeta. Show him what happens to those who insult the great wizard Babidi!" Majin Buu, however, did nothing, merely floating there with his usual placid expression. "You great lummox! Why are you just floating there? Destroy him already!"

Buu just scratched his head. "Okay, I do it." Turning away from the pink monster, Babidi sighed in relief.

"I don't get it," Goku commented, curious and morbidly amused by what was going on, "You're a thousand times stronger than Babidi, maybe more, so why do you let him boss you around like this?"

Majin Buu paused, seeming to consider this. Babidi, however, merely growled angrily again. "Don't listen to him!" He stated to his pet, before turning his attention back to Goku, "And you better keep your trap shut if you know what's good for you! _I_ resurrected Majin Buu so he belongs to me! Of course he's going to do what I say!" At this, Majin Buu glared at him, growling slightly. Turning back to his monster and noticing the look, Babidi asked heatedly, "Hey, do you want to go back inside your ball for another million years?"

Buu's expression didn't change. "If Buu stuck back in ball you go bye-bye; he gonna make you dead." Inside, Babidi winced, thinking, 'That's the problem with cronies. No matter how dumb they start off they all end up trying to think for themselves...' He was drawn out of his musing by Buu clapping and announcing, "No worry, Buu make you safe. Me no like this guy more than you." Babidi sighed in relief again; it was getting harder and harder to make Buu do what he wanted him to.

Goku sighed in irritation. "Well, so much for talk." With a yell, he flared straight into Super Saiyan 2, skipping the first level entirely.

_-They view you as the new messiah-_

"Whoa," Trunks commented, "I can sense Goten's dad all the way from here. He must be as strong as my dad."

"Well yeah," Liran replied, still dragging the younger boy along, "If he wasn't, do you think the two of them could really have gone toe-to-toe for almost an hour?"

"You've got a point there..." Trunks admitted begrudgingly, "Now hurry up and get us there! We've gotta get the radar before Buu gets there."

"You know," she pointed out dryly, "We'd go a lot faster if you'd use your own energy rather than making me drag you like a sack of potatoes."

"Uh... Right, I knew that." Flaring into Super Saiyan, he 'pushed' while she 'pulled', and with another sonic boom they jumped up to Mach 3.

_-Deify you-  
-Renew belief in some demented man-_

"So it's this trick again," Babidi cackled from what he felt was a safe distance, "What a waste of energy. Vegeta did the same thing, and look at what happened to him!"

Goku smirked. "I'm guessing an Ascended Super Saiyan isn't much of a challenge for you. So how about I take it up to the next level?"

Babidi stared at him vacantly. "The next level of ascended super something-a... what? What's that?" Babidi shook his head. "As interested as I am to see this trick of yours, time is short. The good people of West Capitol are expecting us. Maybe next time. Majin Buu, hurry up and do something nasty to him, we've got an appointment to keep.

Watching Buu's childish antics, Goku mused to himself, 'The way he acts, you'd never guess he could really be that strong. Then again, Vegeta probably thought the same thing. I'll have to be careful. I only have to distract him long enough for Trunks and Liran to find the dragon radar.' Stretching his senses, he could sense the two kids nearing West Capitol's borders. 'Good, they're almost there. Still, I need to buy some more time. I guess I'll need to give these guys a demonstration.' That decided, he faded out of Super Saiyan.

"Why you go down?" Buu asked childishly, "You no play?"

"We'll get to that," Goku replied. "First, I thought I'd take a minute to teach you a thing or two about Super Saiyans, starting with the basics."

Buu stared back blankly, though Goku could see a touch of curiosity. "Super... Saiya-Jin?" Whether by luck or some hidden knowledge, Buu managed to stumble across the archaic name for the Saiyans.

"Don't bother with it," Babidi commented, bored already. "I never asked you to explain anything."

"Who said I was explaining to you?" Goku shot back, before continuing to Buu, "What you're seeing now is my normal state." With a flash of light, Goku jumped into Super Saiyan, his yellow aura burning strongly around him. "This is a Super Saiyan. There are a bunch of variations on this form, usually sacrificing speed for strength, but I don't use any of those. And this-" with another flash of light, Goku jumped up to the next level, his hair spiking up further save one massive bang that hung before his eyes, and blue lightning dancing around his form. "-is what is known as a Super Saiyan that has ascended past a Super Saiyan. We call this an Ascended Saiyan, or, a Super Saiyan Two."

Buu nodded his head, taking all the information in like the proverbial sponge. Babidi, however, just yawned. "Ho hum. What a useless transformation. You're changed your hair; so what?"

Goku smirked, chuckling to himself. "Just wait."

_-You want to know why it seems the passion's died?-_

"Yeah! Made it!" Trunks exclaimed, as the two kids touched down outside Capsule Corp. Wasting no time, they raced inside, Trunks making a beeline for his grandfather. The two found the old man inside the nature reserve inside the main building; because it was designed using capsule technology, the room was actually larger inside than the building was outside.

Turning at the sound of the door opening, the older Briefs' asked, "Ah, how's my grandson today?"

"Oh hi Trunks!" His wife, Bulma's mother, exclaimed as she walked up; despite being about as old as her husband, she still looked as young as her daughter, if not younger. "What great timing; I just made some tea! And who's your little friend?"

"I'm Liran," the girl replied, "But we don't have time for this! Majin Buu is on his way here as we speak and we need to find the dragon radar."

"Dragon radar?" Mr. Briefs' questioned, to the kids' collective nod. "Well, the last time I saw it, it was, uh..."

"Hurry up!" Trunks almost shouted, "We don't have time!"

_-We've all been living this lie-_

'They haven't left Capsule Corp yet... Damn, they must be having trouble finding it,' Goku mused to himself. 'Oh well, guess I have no choice.' His smirk slipping, Goku dropped into the traditional power-up crouch, saying, "And this... is to go... EVEN FURTHER BEYOND!"

With a rising shout, Goku's power level began increasing exponentially, much to the shock of those observing through Babidi's magicks; well, those who could sense power anyway. Within seconds, Goku's translucent yellow aura was replaced with a solid circle of golden light; for some reason, the light did not hide Goku's form just yet. At the back of his mind, he thought he could hear King Kai's voice shouting, _"No, stop it Goku! If you do this now it's going to drain away all the time you lave left on Earth! And I'd say you need every second of it as it is!"_

Still Goku's power continued to climb, the swirling energies dragging in every cloud in the sky and disintegrating them, while below huge tidal waves were kicked up, drenching the coast of the nearby town in ten foot walls of water. Within the mini-sun that was Goku, his body began fading from view, taken over by golden light, as his voice began sounding hoarse from the massive, continual shout; thanks to his Saiyan heritage, he could breath and shout at the same time, so the sound never ended.

_-You want to know why my will's been fortified?-_

"It's... unreal!" Piccolo shouted, as the Lookout began to shake, "How is he generating that much power?"

"Do it dad!" Goten stated firmly, strong in the belief that his father could, and would, avenge his brother.

"It's... too much!" Krillin shouted, as the shaking began to worsen.

_-You've made me hunger again-_

"Whoa. Can you feel that?" Liran asked, staring out the window towards the direction she felt Goku's energy.

Pausing in his ransacking of the room, also known as searching, Trunks asked, "Is that who I think it is?"

The girl nodded; she would have been helping in the search, but she didn't know what she was looking for. "Yeah. That's Goku alright, although where he's getting this strength from, I can't say."

_-Good luck sleeping tonight-_

Unseen by the evil duo before him, Goku's hair began growing, stretching and recoiling as it lengthened down his back. Below, gale force winds ravaged much of the city, tearing loose signs and whipping trees, while the waves continued to batter the shore, and up to almost a mile inland. The light was so bright that Babidi and Buu had to shield their eyes. _"Stop it!"_ King Kai's voice screamed, _"Stop it now Goku!"_

It was too late to stop even if he wanted to; the transformation had begun, and one way or another, it would finish. As windows cracked, then shattered, across the city, and televisions exploded, Goku's gathering energy reached critical mass, and with a massive flare of light, blinding those observing for a good minute, the clouds around him were blown away, revealing a whole new Goku.

Pulsing with golden light, Goku's hair now extended down near to where his tail began, the golden-furred appendage now waving behind him rather than hidden around his waist. One massive lock of hair still hung across his face, which in turn had changed. His eyebrows were gone, a caveman-like face replacing Goku's usual cheer free guise, and his eyes, for possibly the first time ever, contained visible black pupils amidst the blue-green iris.

"I'm sorry that took so much longer than the others," Goku stated, his voice deeper and more coarse than before, "But I haven't had much occasion to practice this one. This is what I call a Super Saiyan Three."

_-I only wanted a blessing made-_

The Z Sword held aloft, Gohan stood stock still, staring out past the horizon. "Do you feel that energy?" He asked the two gods with him. "If I didn't know better I'd say that was my dad. But that's... crazy."

"It... is Goku," Shin stated stutteringly. "I have no idea how, but it's definitely your father. I'm certain."

"Impossible!" Kibito shouted, "That can't be Goku. Saiyan powers are not strong enough to be felt _this_ far away!"

"Well, it is," Gohan replied, sounding the world like he'd reached his limit for being surprised for one day, "And I _don't_ think that's a good thing."

_-Now I've been labelled a renegade-_

"Unbelievable," Avarrdo commented, "There's a third level of Super Saiyan."

One hand to his chin, Kellre mused, "There must be a fourth level..."

"What makes you say that bro?" Truniz asked.

"It's simple," the older brother replied, "When you compare the maximum potential of this Super Saiyan Three transformation, and compare it to the estimated power of the Golden Oozaru, the first Super Saiyan who destroyed our home world, there is a fairly major difference in power. I theorise there must be a fourth level, with power equal to that of the legendary Golden Oozaru, but the control of a regular Super Saiyan."

"How do you plan on testing this theory of yours?" Avarrdo asked.

Kellre just grinned. "Patience, my old friend. Patience."

_-It seems so clear now what I must do-_

Babidi gaped in horror, but Buu was merely impressed, and slightly amused. "Buu not scared. Big hair make you big funny!"

Forcing a grin to his face, Babidi added, "Yes, I'm inclined to agree. This Super Three whatever you said, it's ridiculous. Majin Buu, I think our friend's in need of a haircut."

"I'm ready," Goku stated. "Show me what you've got."

"Do it!" Babidi shouted. "Take him down!"

Before Buu could act Goku blurred forward, appearing between the wizard and the monster, and kneeing Buu in the head. As Buu sailed down towards the city Goku appeared in front of him, kicking him skyward before grabbing him by the head tentacle and batting him around like a tetherball with the other hand. After a few minutes of this, accompanied by Babidi's incredulous screams, Goku grew tired of it, grabbing the head tentacle with both hands and swinging Buu around, hurling him towards the city, where he sheered straight through a building before digging a massive crater in the street.

Within minutes, Buu was airborne again, a massive grin on his face as he raised both arms towards Goku. A horrified thought of 'That's one of Vegeta's attacks!' ran through his head as Buu began firing off wave after wave of yellow blasts, and he was hard pressed to swat them all away; most of them were hit towards Babidi, but the diminutive wizard barrier'd up. Not willing to give Buu any more chance to fire blasts, Goku sped towards him, and the two began trading blows at lightning fast speed.

_-You're no immortal-  
-I won't let them deify you-_

"Keep it up Goku!" Krillin shouted excitedly.

"My dad's stronger than ever," Goten observed.

"This... is getting dangerous," Piccolo stated. "Goku may be more powerful than ever before, but the harder he fights, the more Majin Buu's strength increases. There seems to be no end to it!"

Eyes widening in shock, Bulma exclaimed, "I can't believe I forgot. Trunks is looking in the wrong place for the dragon radar." Everyone turned to her in surprise. "Sorry, it must've slipped my mind, but after we got the dragon balls earlier I left it in the airplane."

"What?" Krillin screeched, "Does Trunks know?"

Stamping her foot, Bulma yelled back, "What did I just say?"

Krillin paled. "Oh yeah, I know, but in situations like this it's really hard for me. Oh, I just crumble under pressure!"

"We have to get in touch with Trunks immediately," Roshi stated. "Krillin, go find a phone and call him."

Hanging his head, the former monk replied, "I wouldn't know where to start. I haven't seen a phone up here my entire life."

Videl raised an eyebrow. "You mean to tell me that none of you have a phone?" They all shook their head; she sighed. "I always carry my phone with me." To prove her point, she produced her mobile phone from her pocket, having changed after the tournament into more comfortable clothes. In a condescending voice, she added, "I know you guys are used to using your special powers and all, but you should really look into technology some time; I don't know what I'd do without it."

"Thanks Videl!" Krillin exclaimed, taking the phone off her, "I'm gonna call Trunks right away. Now, how do you use this thing..."

_-They view you as the new messiah-_

"Wonderful Buu!" Babidi shouted, as the monster and the Saiyan continued to trade blows. At the sound of his supposed master's voice Buu paused to pose triumphantly, and received a kick to the side of his head for it. Holding a hand to his forehead, Babidi muttered sourly, "What a fool..."

'What's taking them so long?' Goku wondered to himself. 'I can't go on fighting like this forever. My energy's draining fast, and Majin Buu just keeps coming back for more.' In an effort to conserve energy, when Majin Buu charged forward again Goku simply phased out, reappearing fifty metres away. With a growl, Buu sped forward again, and again, Goku phased back.

This made Majin Buu mad, a fact he let known by venting steam and throwing a temper tantrum. "What? Are you leaving so soon?" Babidi asked, flying over to his pet monster's side. "Do you think you can just quit any time you like? You're through when we say you're through!" With a cry, Majin Buu sped forward again, and again Goku phased back. This time, however, Majin Buu didn't stop, continuing to fly towards him, forcing Goku to phase back again and again, until the city was long behind them, whereupon, instead of phasing back, Goku charged forward and buried his foot in Buu's face, caving it in.

When Goku leapt back, Buu reinflated it's head, and with another temper tantrum, he disappeared. Goku looked around in shock for a few moments before Buu phased in directly in front of him, sending him flying with a headbutt. Righting himself in mid fall, Goku drew his arms back to his side, focusing energy and firing it with a cry of, "Kamehameha!"

The heavenly blue beam tore clean through Majin Buu, much to Babidi's horror, but within minutes Buu had regenerated completely once again. "Do you see now?" Babidi shrieked. "Majin Buu is unstoppable!" The pudgy pink monster dropped into a very familiar stance, his hands cupped at his right hip, and Goku's eyes widened in terror as Majin Buu executed a perfect Kamehameha, albeit pink instead of blue.

Winding up, he batted the blast back at Buu, and the monster, in turn, batted it away to the city behind them, just missing Babidi in the process. With a massive explosion, and gale force winds, the city was no more. In the glow of destruction, Majin Buu smirked, hands on his hips, seeming very satisfied with itself.

_-Deify you-  
-Renew belief in some demented man-_

Gohan paused in his training once again, as he felt the battle on Earth raging on. 'Father, you must be fighting one incredible battle. I can sense it all the way from here.'

"Gohan," Shin said quietly, drawing the teen from his thoughts, "I fear this may be the one fight your father won't be able to win. Majin Buu is just too powerful. If you want to put an end to Majin Buu, you must learn how to fight with that sword. You must use it as an extension of yourself. That is the only way."

"Visualise, Gohan," Kibito added, "See the sword and yourself as a single entity; one not complete without the other."

"Okay," Gohan nodded, and with no more words, he returned to his training.

_-All my devotion betrayed-_

"Buu! You bulbous moron!" Babidi shouted, "Are you trying to kill me along with the rest of the planet?" The evil glare on Buu's face, unseen by Babidi, seemed to suggest 'yes'. "And as for you, mister would-be superhero, you've done a great job protecting this world so far. Do you have any idea how much of it you just destroyed?"

Ignoring the wizard, Goku stated, "Buu, I'm a man of courtesy, as well as strength, so I've got to tell you that I'm quite impressed by your fighting techniques. I've fought beings from beyond nameless galaxies and you, by far are the best I've faced."

"Thank you," Buu replied, brimming will false modesty.

_-I am no longer afraid-_

The sound of the ringing phone was almost drowned out by the sound of rummaging, but nevertheless, at least one occupant of the house heard it. With an overly cheerful voice, Mrs. Brief's picked up the phone, "Capsule Corp. Oh hi Bulma! How is this beautiful day treating you dear?" There was a pause as she listened to her daughter on the other end, before continuing, "He's a little busy, let me see if I can get him." Placing one hand over the phone, she called out, "Trunks, your mother's on the phone."

"Tell her I don't have time for a pep talk right now!" The boy shouted back, still ransacking the house.

"I'll take it," Liran replied, walking over and taking the phone off the older woman. "Yo B, wassup?" Oran's personality could clearly be seen in Liran. Nodding at the reply, Liran commented, "Would've been nice to know that earlier, but thanks anyways." Hanging the phone up, Liran shouted to the lavender-haired child, "Yo Trunks, the radar's in the airplane."

"For real? Awesome." Racing past his grandfather, Trunks shouted to the reclining older man, "She said she left it in the airplane-" Halting mid-step, he asked, "Wait, do we even _have_ an airplane?"

Slightly bemused at the younger boy's antics since arriving, the older Briefs asked, "So now you're looking for an airplane?" Taking a capsule case off he mantle, he opened it up, stating, "This is an airplane."

"Thanks a million grandpa!" Trunks shouted, snatching the case out of the man's hand and, wasting no time, diving out a nearby open window, Liran in hot pursuit. He popped open the capsule mid-fall, and leapt inside the second it landed, searching hurriedly. With a triumphant, "Hey! Here it is; I found it!" the boy climbed out again, returning it to it's capsule and throwing the case back in the window.

"That's just wonderful Trunks!" Mrs. Briefs exclaimed, "Now we all have time for a relaxing lunch."

"What is it with you and food?" the boy questioned; she'd been pestering the two of them ever since they arrived. The two kids raced off, preparing to take off as Trunks yelled back, "Gotta go! Love ya!" With a pair of ki flares, the two kids took off, Liran once again dragging the Super Saiyan Trunks by the hand, with Trunks using his ki to help push them along."

"Gosh," Mrs. Briefs commented. "I can't believe he came all this way and left without eating anything."

_-I was too blinded to see-_

'Hmm. There they are. Good. They're on their way back to the Lookout. They must have finally found the dragon radar. I guess it's time for me to wrap up my business here so I can head back too.' Igniting his aura again, Goku powered down through the three forms of Super Saiyan, until he was back to normal again.

"Hey, why you go back to normal?" Buu asked, "You and me no fight no more? Buu have fun!"

"Well, I had a lot of fun too," Goku replied, "But unfortunately I have some place to be and time won't allow me to play with you all day Majin Buu. It's time for me to say goodbye."

Babidi laughed. "Not likely. We've been over this; we'll decide when you leave! Majin Buu, don't listen to a word he says. Get over there and crush him! All you have to do is brush this pest away and I promise you'll get your chance to level West Capitol. That should be more than enough to lure those other rats out of the woodwork."

"Don't bother," Goku replied, looking a little worse for wear; the fight had clearly taken it out of him. "Give them two days and they'll be ready to fight." Buu seemed to consider it. "There's no need for you to destroy West Capitol or kill anyone else; _they_ want to fight _you_. I'm asking, have some patience. They'll come to you."

_-How much you've stolen from me-_

"Are they really strong?" Buu asked.

"Unbelievably."

Babidi laughed again. "Like it really matters. Even if we gave them two years it wouldn't make a difference. They will never be strong enough to beat the two of us."

Goku smirked. "Well for starters, they're only going to fight one of you because the other seems to do nothing but bark orders. Second of all, if you're so confident you won't be beaten even if you wait, there's no reason you _shouldn't_ wait is there? Oh and Majin Buu? I think you're _much_ too gifted a fighter to be controlled by a coward like Babidi."

The wizard gave him the finger. "Shut it!"

Still smirking, Goku raised two fingers to his forehead. "See ya." And with that, he was gone.

_-Deify you-  
-They view you as the new messiah-_

Gasping in fear, Babidi quickly dived behind Majin Buu, thinking this may be some kind of attack. "Can... you see him?" The wizard asked his monster, the pink blob looking one way, then the other, making curious noises all the while. "Did he... Did he just vanish into thin air?" This angered Babidi, so he took it out on the closest target; Buu. "Buu you're incompetent! Don't just stand there floating, get your doughy pink body moving and find him RIGHT NOW!" Majin Buu did nothing. "Do you have wax in your ears bonehead? I am giving you an order!"

Unseen by Babidi, Majin Buu had a dark, menacing glare on his face, one that spelled trouble for the wizard. Heedless of the danger, Babidi ranted, "I am not going to tell you again, okay? You start moving and you find him! Fine, you want to act like a child then I'll treat you like a child; you have until the count of three! One! Two!"

Majin Buu turned around, a massive grin plastered across it's face. "Mister Babidi. Buu have a better idea!"

_-Deify you-  
-Renew belief in some demented man-_

"You're actually having an idea?" Babidi parroted incredulously, "Doesn't that sound like a great trick." Buu floated closer. "Okay then, why don't you tell me what you've come up with in that walnut-sized brain of yours?"

Holding one hand before his mouth as one would to tell a secret, Buu stated, "Buu have a great idea."

"You said that already," Babidi replied as he looked away; that was his mistake. "Just cough it up so we can get on with the serious stuff."

Buu's left hand lashed out, grabbing Babidi around the throat; by the voice box, to be exact. Laughing, Buu exclaimed, "Now you no talk. Now no more can say word to seal Buu back up in ball, no no NO!" Babidi gagged, trying desperately to breath as he clutched at Buu's arm, his eyes bugging out of his head. "You teach me lots of good games, but Buu think it time Babidi go. Bye bye bye!" Buu raised his right hand, balled into a fist. "Bye bye!" With a spray of crimson, Babidi was no more.

_-Deify you (All my devotion betrayed)-  
-They view you as the new messiah (I am no longer afraid)-_

They had failed. They had underestimated Phoenix's endurance once again. They had maintained their blasts at full strength for however long it had been now, having tapped into reserves even they weren't truly aware off, but in one minute, maybe two tops, they would be tapped out, and Phoenix could, and certainly would, finish them off.

Without warning, Phoenix seemed to be wracked by pain, as what looked like black smoke started seeping from his form. With a horrified "No!" he realised exactly what had happened; Babidi had fallen, and with him, the source of his continued strength. The 'M' on his forehead was last to go, washing away like windswept dust, and second later, his shields collapsed, and the combined furies of Titan and Chaos met with devastating force.

It was over.

_-Deify you (I was too blinded to see)-  
-Renew belief in some demented man (How much you've stolen from me)-_

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

(1) I wonder how many people are gonna get what I mean by 'swear to You'...

Like the chapter before it, the editing on this one was finished mere minutes before posting. The chapter content itself, however, was finished about 5 hours ago. I had to give it a run through my pre-reader first. Now, it should be downhill from here, at least for the next couple of weeks.


	33. D09: Come Whatever May

--- Disturbance, Book 2: Divergence ---

Chapter D09 - Come What(ever) May

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-Can you take away every single day-_

"You go bye-bye now! Bye-bye Babidi!" Buu exclaimed excitedly. "No more tell Buu what to do! No more meanie!" The now headless body of Babidi twitched a few times in Buu's grip, before Buu tossed it away with an excited whoop, firing a blast and obliterating it completely. Majin Buu let out a cheer; he was free!

_-That we have given to another false prophet?-_

With a whistle, Goku appeared back on the Lookout as suddenly as he'd disappeared. "Daddy?" Goten questioned, before racing over to him and giving him a hug. "Daddy! You're back! You were great dad!"

"How are you feeling Goku?" Piccolo asked; for a dead man, Goku looked really exhausted. The deceased fighter just smiled, signalling he was okay

"Trunks and Liran found the dragon radar and are on their way back," Bulma commented, "So we've avoided one catastrophe."

"I know," Goku replied. "Now, even if Majin Buu does destroy West Capitol, we'll be able to set things right again." Suddenly, his head snapped to the side, looking back down to the Earth below.

"What's the matter?" Goten asked, sitting at his father's feet, "What's wrong dad?"

"Goku, what is it you're sensing?" Piccolo asked.

"It's... Majin Buu," he replied, "He's... He's killed Babidi." The statement was met by shock from the others.

"Well, _this_ is a surprising turn of events," Piccolo commented dryly.

"I had a feeling that he might," Goku added, "They didn't really seem to get along."

"So," Piccolo questioned, "What happens now? Majin Buu has no one telling him what to do anymore. There's no denying that Babidi was definitely the brains of that particular operation."

"Maybe things will turn out happy after all guys," Bulma stated hopefully.

Not wanting to sound too pessimistic, Goku replied, "We can only hope."

_-Can you give us all a reason not to fall-_

"Buu so free! Buu so free like bird with no cage!" Buu exclaimed, flying through the air, for once, joyously. "So free! What do Buu do first? Buu have so much fun now no more Babidi tell Buu what to do!" Pointing towards the horizon, where he could see a city, Buu shouted, "Over there look fun!" Unknowingly, he had drifted towards West Capitol.

_-Before you take away another broken promise?-_

"Five minutes sir."

He nodded to the man, not taking his eyes off the figure in the mirror, as he went about making the final checks on his appearance. Satisfied he looked good, he took a few deep breaths, psyching himself up for what was to come. He was the strongest (normal) man on Earth, he was the (now-former) World Martial Arts Champion, he was the man who (was believed to have) beat Cell. He was Hercule Satan.

Prior to the tournament that ended a couple of hours, at most, earlier, he would have had no trouble living these lies. Cell was dead, he'd been there, and no one else had stepped forward to claim the victory as theirs. He had never, at first, claimed that he himself had defeated Cell; the reporters and such just _assumed_ it was him, because he was all that was left. Once that lie began, he knew there was no going back, but, for the past seven years, everything had been great. There were no contenders for his title as Saviour of the World, and nothing else the world needed saving from.

Five hours prior, Hercule was confident he would continue to be the best the world knew about. And then they showed up at the tournament. After seven years, they had returned from wherever they'd been living since the Cell Games. In truth, given the competition, Hercule was fortunate to have gotten as far in as he did, coming away with 'Runner-Up'. In a way, it irritated him that he was no longer champion.

_-Show your pretty face, hide the bitter taste-  
-You're still the rapist of an entire nation-_

It irritated him more that the man who _was_ crowned champion - or would be once everything settled down again - was the first one to declare intentions to date his daughter, and succeed the challenge no less. Still, the boy _had_ proven he could look after Videl, so, maybe he could finally let her go.

Then, just after the tournament's conclusion, some of the competitors went crazy. First, two of them stabbed the man who would have been champion, had he not forfeited the title, in the stomach, then, that same man, and one who looked like an older version of him, proceeded to blow up part of the stadium. And as if that wasn't bad enough, now they had this little yellow wizard thing popping up into their heads, telling them about how Earth was now his, and how that pudgy pink thing with him would destroy Earth if he didn't get what he wanted.

Hercule, for all his antics and shenanigans, wasn't an idiot. He knew this 'Buu' thing was way out of his league, just like Cell had been. He knew that there was no way he could beat it. He did, however, know one thing he _could_ do: give the people hope. Even if it cost him his life, he would give the people of Earth hope that everything would turn out fine. Maybe, this way, he could earn Videl's forgiveness for lying to her these past seven years.

"Mister Satan? They're waiting for you."

He nodded, turning away from the mirror. He had a press conference to get to, and hope to spread to the people.

_-You wanna be the man you gotta be a man-  
-But you were nothing but a sad insinuation-_

"Kaen, what are we gonna do?"

"I'm thinking," was his terse reply, his eyes closed as he racked his brain for a solution. With the fight over, finding their way back to their bodies had been simple, and despite the massive battle they'd been involved in that had taken up at least an hour in the real world, physically the pair of them were just fine; mentally they were drop-dead exhausted, but they were conditioned to fight on regardless. Now, they just needed to work out what, if anything, they could so to help.

From what his senses told him, both Gohan and Vegeta were dead, most likely to that black hole of dark ki he could pick up; the same dark ki that was heading towards West Capitol with surely malicious intent. For all his bravado, Kaen knew he and Pi couldn't win at their current power level, without possibly resorting to their trump card, and possibly not even then; after all, if this 'Majin Buu' thing defeated both Gohan and Vegeta, two twice-ascended Super Saiyans, what hope did they have?

Still, he knew they had to try; other than Goku, they were the only ones left who could stop this menace, and the deceased Saiyan warrior didn't have the best track record when it came to saving the world. Sure, he tended to be there and get the job done, but only after everyone else was either dead, or on the verge of it... Ironically, Kaen mused to himself, he was a tad surprised the current situation wasn't dire enough for Goku to win...

_-(Oooooh)-  
-How can we ever live this down?-_

Opening his eyes again, he glanced over at his mate, still standing there patiently awaiting his answer. Taking a deep breath, he asked, "Pi, do you trust me?"

"With my life," she replied immediately. They both knew that nothing good started with the phrase 'do you trust me', but the truth of the matter was she did, in fact, trust him with her life.

"We may be testing that resolve soon..." He commented wryly.

"So what's the plan Kaen?" She asked, "Are we just going to attack Buu head on? You know we can't win that way."

"You're right, we can't win at our current power level," he replied, grinning before adding, "We _can_, however, slow him down a little."

"You do realise one, or both, of us might get killed?"

_-(Oooooh)-  
-How can we ever live this down?-_

He sighed, "Yeah, I do. I'm kinda banking on it actually... Look, I understand if you don't want to-"

"Well, let's go then." Pi interrupted enthusiastically.

He face-faulted, "You're okay with this?" When she nodded, looking eager to head off to a suicidal fight, something clicked in his mind. "You were gonna go along with this either way weren't you? You just wanted me to explain the 'why' of it."

She nodded again, "Mm hm. You should know by now that that's my job. I'm here to be your muse, to give you the want, the need, and the inspiration to do better."

He levelled a wry look her way, "And here I thought you were my mate."

She just grinned, "Hey, I never said the job was without its perks."

He just shook his head, commenting, "We'll continue this conversation later. Right now, we have work to do." With a nod, the two blasted off, Kaen heading East and Pi West; first order of business: to get Buu away from West Capitol.

_-Keep your fingers crossed, the truth is at a loss-  
-Big decision for an ordinary coward-_

With the roar of flared ki, three figures crested the side of the Lookout. About halfway back, Oran and Lime's fusion had worn off, leaving the two tired kids to fly back with Trunks, meaning the return journey had been longer than the outbound trip; after the fusion wore off, the twins needed a moment to recover which they didn't have, so that slowed them down a bit.

Racing over to the kids, Bulma cast a mother's eye over her son before saying, "It's good to see my little Trunks. You must be tired."

"Mum, I'm fine," He tried to wave her off. Ignoring her condescending reply, he turned to the approaching Goku, holding out the radar and stating in a soldier's tone, "Here it is sir. Confirm: is this your dragon radar?"

Goku smiled, "Con-firmed! Good job soldier. Mission accomplished."

"I must say Goku," Oran stated, "I don't give you nearly enough credit. That half-baked plan of yours almost worked flawlessly."

_-The only problem is your fucking rhetoric-  
-We're more in danger then before you took power-_

His grin widened, "See, I told you it would- Wait, almost?" He paused, looking around again, before continuing, "Thanks to your help, Trunks got the Dragon Radar," while still standing to attention, Trunks looked exhausted, and the twins were glaring tiredly at him, "Babidi is dead, and Buu-"

"-Is still going to destroy West Capitol." Piccolo interrupted.

"What?" Goku cried out in surprise.

"It would appear your very moving speech about waiting for a strong warrior to come defeat him didn't get quite the effect you wanted." The entire sentence was delivered with Piccolo's trademark dry, inflection-less voice, but even the dense Goku could tell there was a thinly veiled insult in there somewhere.

Goku nearly panicked at the news. "Crap, I've gotta go-"

"Wait," Goten piped up, "Do you guys feel that?"

The group on the Lookout paused for a moment, and, like Goten said, they could feel a pair of very familiar presences. Oran's face broke out into a grin, "It's niichan!"

_-Now it's just a game; God you'll never change-_

Majin Buu stopped his flight above the concrete jungle that was West Capitol; of course, he didn't know that this particular city was the West Capitol Babidi had been trying to get it to go too. All he knew was that this place looked like fun. That, and he was hungry. Buu grinned what would have been a combination of a malicious and a childish grin, taking a deep breath, and preparing to turn everyone in the city to chocolate, when a whistling sound drew his attention. Before he could turn around, however, he was struck abruptly from behind, the force of impact sending him flying.

_-You'd sell us out if you could only find a buyer-_

Kaen grinned to himself, shouting, "Batter up Fat Boy!" Having just flown halfway around the world at over mach speed, the force of the kick he had just delivered to Buu's spine - assuming he _had_ a spine - was easily enough to send the butterball 'round the other half of the planet, assuming he didn't try to stop his momentum sooner. Still grinning, Kaen blasted off after him; best to make sure he kept going until he reached the appropriate destination...

_-You don't give a shit as long as idiots-_

"...And when I come back from my training, that Majin Buu is gonna be toast!" Hercule shouted to the crowd, raising his hands into his traditional 'victory' pose; the crowd roared their approval. If there was one thing Hercule knew, besides how utterly outclassed he was by Buu and pretty much everyone who'd entered the tournament, it was how to work a crowd. It worked fine, right up until someone noticed something approaching, fast.

"What's that?" A random person in the crowd shouted.

"I-It's..M-Majin Buu!" Someone else screamed.

Hercule began to sweat, and when someone shouted, "Save us Hercule," a sentiment soon shared by everyone there, he knew he was in trouble...

_-Are in your corner you could set us all on fire-_

For a creature comprised of nothing but evil, magic, and bubblegum, Majin Buu was decidedly heavy. However, due to the immense mass, when a sufficient amount of momentum was forced upon it, it took a long time to wear off; the fact the person who had kicked it in the back was chasing it through the air and ki pushing it along didn't help drop this momentum any. Still, eventually, the momentum had to wear off, and that moment was fast approaching. Before it could happen, however, a blur of green intercepted it from the front, ricocheting the pink monster skyward for a few seconds, before another blow landed.

_-(Oooooh)-_

Pi smiled to herself as she watched Buu fast approaching, changing direction slightly with a flare of ki to intercept. With a short burst of ki, she sent Buu skywards, warping up after him and clenching her fists together, volleyball spiking the pink blob down into the city, following him with a flare of ki; it was time for the fun to begin.

_-How can we ever live this down?-_

Hercule couldn't help but scream like a woman as Buu was sent careening into the city, missing the amassed people by, at most, two blocks, before sending up a cloud of shattered concrete as it struck the ground. Thinking quickly, he began herding the people away from the combat zone. Fortunately, City Hall had a bomb shelter underneath it large enough for everyone. After he got them all down there, well... That was anyone's guess.

_-(Oooooh)-  
-How can we ever live this down?-_

This time, Buu was more prepared for the blow; it'd seen it coming. As such, it was able to adjust its mass so that it landed more-or-less on its feet. Gritting what passed for teeth, Buu clenched it's fists, glaring up at the descending green form, with steam shooting out of the holes in his body as it shouted, "Buu hate you! Buu make you die!"

It was sent flying again, and again from a blow to the back, as a red-sheathed form shouted back, "Not on _my_ watch Fatso!" Buu's forward momentum was cut short when Pi leapt into a spin kick the moment her feet touched the ground, sending Buu flying down the street to the right, before crashing into a building; the Saiyan couple were amused to note it was the high school, which was, fortunately, empty, due to the tournament holiday throughout the city.

With a pink explosion, Buu emerged from the rubble, it's normally slit-like eyes openly glaring at the pair of them, as it screamed, "BUU HATE YOU!"

Kaen just grinned as he took his place beside Pi, the pair drawing their swords as they fell into mirroring stances. Sharing a quick glance at each other, the pair turned back to Buu, grinning together as they shouted, "Bring it!"

_-You never wanted to be-  
-They only wanted a parody-  
-You want the world to be free-  
-But what the hell is free about it?!-_

The mood on the Lookout was, to say the least, surprised by this little twist. In the end, it was Piccolo who spoke, "Well, that ought to keep him busy for a while."

"You do realised Hercule could get killed?" Krillin commented, lookout over the edge with the others.

The corner of the Namek's lips twitched in a pale imitation of a smile. "Acceptable losses."

Krillin just grinned back, "I wasn't complaining."

"What's going on down there?" the twins asked, rushing up to the adults, "We wanna see too!"

"Then just look over the edge," Dende replied with a shrug, "The Lookout is enchanted such that anyone looking off it can see wherever they want in the world, 'slong as you know where you wanna see." At the kids surprised look, he added, "What, you don't think the position of 'Kami' comes with super powers do you? I mean, I can control basic weather, to help prevent natural disasters and the like, but only from up here. It's the Lookout itself that provides power to whoever is in charge, and they, in turn, decide what to do with that power."

With a grin, the twins rushed to look over the edge, joined shortly by Goten and Trunks; they wanted to see this.

_-Now we reached the end, just get it over with-  
-But this is building to an adamant conclusion-_

"About time they showed up," Avarrdo commented tiredly.

Jumping up and down slightly, excited at the fact her brother and sister were indeed fine, Kat asked the room, "I wonder what they were doing?"

"Where'd they come from anyway?" Truniz asked.

Looking over the data on his terminal, Kellre replied, "They just seemed to appear on the north-eastern ice continent, near the Red Ribbon's abandoned Muscle Tower. That's the general area we thought they were when they disappeared."

A confused look on her face, Raene asked, "So they just disappeared into thin air, and reappeared just as suddenly? How is that possible?"

Kellre shrugged. "Some kind of new technique perhaps? The only way we can know for certain is to ask them."

Truniz grinned. "I think they're gonna be a little busy for a while."

-Come what ever may, there's gonna be a day-

-When we have figured out a possible solution-

As Buu charged towards them, the pair shared a look again, before, with a nod, Pi tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword. The blade glowing with green ki, Pi shot forward, a cry of "Zantetsuken" being heard once she was stationary again, Buu equidistant between the pair of them. With a surprised, if annoyed, look on his face, Buu began to slide apart at the waist, his legs falling to the pavement below while his torso remained floating.

With a twitch, Buu's legs floated back up, merging back into his body. No sooner than the body part was in place it was severed again, this time by the white flame wreathed blade held in Kaen's hand. Again Buu tried to reform his body, only to find he needed to liquefy to join together again. This made Buu angry, a fact he made known with more steam venting, and another scream of, "BUU MAKE YOU DIE!"

_-Every thing you've done is killing everyone-  
-A little smile on a homicidal bastard-_

With another shared grin, Pi's blade joined Kaen's in being wreathed in white flame, before the two disappeared from sight, appearing only as a vague red-and-green haze around Buu. By the time the gum-like body registered one cut, three more had been made; when the two had finally finished, standing a good fifty feet away from Buu, they were panting slightly from the effort. For a moment, Buu seemed unaffected by the swarm of cuts, before he suddenly fell apart into chunks of pink flesh, each no larger a matchbox.

Grinning tiredly at her mate, Pi commented, "That'll take him a while to regenerate from."

_-You wanna be a man, you gotta have a plan-  
-Another failure is a guaranteed disaster-_

As if purely to spite her words, the chunks of pink faux-flesh seemed to melt into pink goo and flow back together. To make matters worse, the cloud of smoke, created from the fiery blades tearing through Buu's body, seemed to be swirling together as well. Within seconds, the goo had re-formed into Majin Buu, and, to their horror, the smoke had formed into a thin, grey Buu look-alike.

Kaen and Pi stared in wonder as the two Buu's stared each other down. It was the Fat Buu who broke rank first, a pink beam shooting from the tentacle on his head as he shouted, "Turn to chocolate!" It looked, at first, like Grey Buu was not going to act, until, at the last possible second, he blew on the beam, sending it back the way it came. With a small pink explosion, all that remained of Fat Buu was a chocolate bar, and, before the Saiyan couple could react, Grey Buu had dashed over to the bar, picked it up, and eaten it.

_-(Oooooh)-  
-How can we ever live this down?-_

As they watched, the Grey Buu seem to fill out, his gaunt, frail 'muscles' expanding, his cape seeming to disappear, and his colour changing to the normal pink tone they'd come to expect from Buu's, both those on the battle front, and those watching from the Lookout, could only comment, "We, are in serious trouble."

The change complete, the new Majin Buu let out an evil laugh, turning his gaze upon his stunned audience; his power level had shot through the roof. Reaching a hand back, he formed a bright pink blast, shouting "And now you die!" as he flung it forward.

_-(Oooooh)-  
-How can we ever live this down?-_

Time seemed to slow down as the blast approached, seconds stretching out seemingly to hours. All in all, Kaen mused to himself in his last moments of life, it was a fairly surreal feeling. At least, it would have been his last moments of life, if not for Pi's complete disregard for her own life; or, more accurately, her total dedication to him, regardless of the cost to herself.

Within moments of the new Buu's creation, Pi came to the realisation that at their current power level, no matter what they did one of them would die, and so, with an unyielding resolve that even her father would envy, Pi decided to prove to her mate, once and for all, the depth of her love and dedication to him. Just like she had done close to a year ago, she would throw herself upon the bullet meant for her soulmate.

_-You never wanted to be-  
-They only wanted a parody-  
-You want the world to be free-_

She knew his entire repertoire of techniques, including those he had never actually in combat. She knew he had the ability to undo events a few minutes in the past, as he had done close to a year ago. She knew, despite all this, that there was no guarantee that he would be able to bring her back, despite his reputation as a phoenix. Nevertheless, within seconds her mind was decided, and so she acted.

_-She only wanted the world-  
-You never wanted me-  
-They only wanted a parody-_

Diving forward, Pi threw her sword blade-first into the pavement as she flew past, and no sooner had she passed the sword the emerald half of the pommel flashed, and a wall of translucent green energy spread out on either side of the weapon. She knew the field created wouldn't prevent the blast from reaching her mate, but that was not its purpose; it was there to keep him from interfering.

_-You want the world to be free-  
-But what the fuck is free about it?!-_

Without even a moment's hesitation, she sped headfirst into the blast, knowing that as weak and mostly one directional her wall was, she would have to detonate the blast a fair way away from her mate lest her sacrifice be in vain. Crossing her arms in front of her as the light of the incoming blast began to hide her form, Pi spared her final thought for the mate she was leaving behind, smiling sadly and whispering, "I love you Kaen..."

_-What the fuck is free about it?!-_

Her words were drowned out by the roar of the deadly pink blast headed her way, but she knew, deep in her heart, that they reached him. A lone tear fell from her eyes, before a massive pink explosion rocked the city, cracking windows in a two-block radius. When the smoke cleared, all that remained to prove to the world that the Saiyan warrior Pi had once stood here was her sword, the green glow fading from the emerald atop it. And as the light finally faded from what was now her grave marker, a roar of pain and loss wrenched itself from Kaen's throat.

She had been taken from him once more.

_-What the fuck is free about it?!-_

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

I keep leaving things to the last minute. I only finished editing the ending to this chapter a couple of hours ago. I've got to do a bit of work on the next chapter too, but that shouldn't take too long.

Also, yes, it did have to happen this way, so don't give me any grief about it.


	34. D10: Through The Fire And Flames

--- Disturbance, Book 2: Divergence ---

Chapter D10 - Through The Fire And Flames

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

Disclaimer: By reading this disclaimer, and/or the content after it, you, the reader, hereby waive all rights to flame the author for anything that may or may not occur in this chapter.

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The air across the Lookout was fairly solemn in the wake of Majin Buu's brutal assault, as everyone silently mourned the loss of one of their own. Out of everyone there, it seemed the two least affected by it were, strangely, the two who, by all rights, should have been _most_ affected; Oran and Lime. Other than a slight bit of moisture built up in the corner of one of the young girl's eyes, the pair seemed almost indifferent to the death of their much beloved eldest sister.

In the end, it was Goten who first spoke, asking no-one in particular, "Why? Why did she have to die? Majin Buu's lookin' for us, why'd he need to kill her?"

"Because she got in his way," Piccolo grunted sourly. He understood how the villain mindset worked, having been one himself in the past.

"But why did she jump in front of the blast like that?" The young boy persisted.

Goku knelt down to look his youngest son in the eye, replying, "Because she loves him, and you do strange things for people you love." Goku knew that all too well, as the halo above his head attested to.

"Or maybe," Oran countered, "Because they've got a plan." Seeing that he had everyone's full attention, he continued, "Think about it: why would they have attacked Majin Buu at all, when they would have sensed he was stronger than them?"

"To keep West Capitol from being destroyed?" Yamcha replied, the inflection at the end of his sentence declaring his input a guess.

Oran shook his head. "No, however much he's changed since he came here, Kaen wouldn't risk his life to protect humans. Besides, you only know half the picture." This got intrigued looks from the others. "When Kaen and Gohan were fighting, I kept wondering to myself why Kaen wasn't using his full strength, 'coz I could sense he had more. Maybe he didn't use the rest of his power because he couldn't, and maybe this was all planned to bring that power out; after all, Pi knows Kaen can revive her." The fact he used his elder siblings names showed how serious he was about his theory.

"Do you really think Pi'd throw her life away on the off chance it'd give Kaen a power boost?" Krillin asked sceptically.

Oran nodded, noticing slightly how every other Saiyan present also nodded, as did Piccolo, before replying with a humourless grin, "You really don't understand how we Saiyans think do you?"

Lime, silent until now, shouted firmly, "Get him Kaen! Make him hurt bad!"

_-On a cold winter morning, in the time before the light-_

The two combatants stood motionless, still in the same positions they had been ever since one had fired a fatal blast; Buu still stood with it's hand outstretched, a bastardly smirk on it's face, while Kaen still stood almost frozen, staring at, if not through, the point Pi had been standing at the time of her death. The way her sword was planted into the ground, it almost looked like a cross, a grave marker, mocking him.

As his younger brother predicted, this was, in fact, Kaen's plan all along: that either he or Pi would be killed, and the other would, hopefully, gain enough power to at least revive the other, if not destroy Buu completely. Kaen, of course, had planned that he be the one killed for her, and he knew Pi's plan had the roles reversed. Now, however, that Pi's plan was successful, he found himself frozen in place.

He hurt. Not physically, but inside. Having witnessed Pi die saving him before, he felt he should have been able to cope a little better this time; he was wrong. Comparing the pain of last time to this would be like comparing a pinprick to being run through the chest (a feeling he knew all too well...). The plan, however, was a complete success, as he felt the void in his heart from Pi's loss rapidly being filled with rage, and with that rage, came power.

_-In flames of death's eternal reign we ride towards the fight-_

Pi sighed to herself. She recognized this place, from the brief few seconds she'd spent here _last_ time she was killed. There seemed to be a lot more of the tiny pink-ish clouds around though, so she assumed those were people's souls, or something. Vaguely, she wondered why she didn't look like one of those...

"Excuse me miss," a voice called from behind her. Turning around, she noticed a strange blue creature with tiny horns, wearing a business shirt, slacks, and a tie, approaching her. "Miss, you're supposed to join the line."

'An ogre,' she mused to herself, piecing together what the creature before her was. With a shrug, she commented, "Oh don't mind me, I won't be staying long."

Getting a little agitated with her, the ogre put a hand on her shoulder, trying to move her towards the line while saying, "I must in-"

He stopped abruptly when Pi placed a hand on his wrist, and began squeezing. Her formerly polite face shifted to barely controlled anger as she said, "Don't touch me, if you value your arm, and your life." Applying more pressure, she calmly removed the arm from her shoulder, forcing the ogre to his knees, before commenting, "As I said, I'm not staying long. Within the next few minutes, I'll either be returned to life, or my mate will be joining me, but until either of those events happen, I'm not moving." Smiling slightly, though the look didn't touch her eyes, she asked, "Would you mind doing me a favour?"

The tone in her voice clearly said 'you don't want to say no', so the ogre quickly nodded his assent, replying, "Anything miss," while trying not to yelp at the pain of his arm nearly being removed from its socket.

This time, the smile did reach her eyes, as she said mock-sweetly, "I need a way to watch the events taking place on Earth, specifically the fight with Majin Buu. Do you think you can do that?" When he nodded emphatically, she released his hand, adding, "Good boy. Now run along and do that."

Satisfying when the ogre scurried off, Pi turned her thoughts back to her mate. Testing the bond, she decided it felt a little... strange. The best way she could describe it, even to herself, was like a bridge that had been neatly sheered in half, or like a raised drawbridge on a foggy night; you knew there was more to it, it just... wasn't there. She felt empty. 'I wonder... Does being dead shield me from the pain of the broken bond?' She asked herself, finding it made a lot of sense; the idea that dead Saiyans felt empty until their partner joined them on the other side was better than both of them suffering until they were together again.

'I just... I just hope he's alright...' Pi thought to herself sadly. She knew just how emotionally fragile Kaen could be when it came to anything about her. 'I just hope that, when all of this is over, he'll be able to get over it.'

_-And the darkness is falling down and the times are tough all right-_

Kaen felt like his veins were on fire, as the rage coursed through his body. His golden hair waved about in an unseen breeze, as a golden aura slowly shifted into view around him. As the aura snapped into place around him, slowly expanding, the occasional bolt of pale blue lightning began cracking around his body. His teal eyes faded to a bright white, and his teeth ground together, Kaen growled, "I'm gonna make you pay..."

Without warning, the wind suddenly picked up, spiralling around his form, gathering dust to form a mini tornado around his raging aura. His hair began to waver faster, the spikes seeming to move such that they stood straighter on his head. His muscles began expanding, his cell structure seeming to increase to almost double their mass. The pavement soon began buckling underneath him, his feet digging into the ground, as if gravity itself was increasing.

The wind picked up stronger, the dust being whipped up by the tornado obscuring him from sight, as lightning bolts began shooting around it with increasing frequency. With a near audible 'snap', the new transformation seemed to lock itself in place, his eyes fading back in to colour again, although now more of an aqua colour than teal, and his hair spiked more rigidly; with his normal flame-like hairstyle, it was a little hard to tell, but a bit of scrutiny could notice the difference. With a massive shout, the tornado around him disappeared, as almost everything within a one-block radius of Kaen was vaporised instantly in a massive spherical explosion.

"I'M GONNA MAKE YOU PAY!"

_-The sound of evil laughter falls around the world tonight-_

As the light from the explosion faded, all that remained in the two block wide circle was Kaen, still floating in the exact same place as he'd been standing in the epicentre, and Pi's sword, held aloft by his power. Seconds later, there was a loud, and quite possibly violent, crash as Buu slammed into a building half a block down the road. Hovering forward, Kaen grasped Pi's sword firmly in his left hand, his own sword still in his right, and held the pair such that the blade was against his wrist.

Digging itself out of the rubble with a minor ki flare, Buu glared over at the hovering Saiyan, before grinning callously and saying, "Don't tell me you're going to try the sword thing again; you saw how badly that worked last time."

Kaen didn't reply, even to question Buu's new grasp of the English language, simply returning Buu's glare with an emotionless glare of his own, before the blades of the sword seemed to melt, turning molten as they flowed around his arms, reshaping themselves. When the metal hardened again, red-gold gauntlets, reaching all the way along his forearms, adorned both of Kaen's arms. The red and green gemstone that sat at the base of the sword now rested in the palm of his hands, the red face up in one, and the green face up in the other.

Buu raised one of what passed for eyebrows, laughing, "Different. You do realise you stand no chance of winning don't you?"

"Let's test that theory," Kaen replied coldly, vanishing from view

_-Fighting hard, fighting on for the steel, through the wastelands evermore-_

Kaen reappeared for a brief second as his metal-clad fist connected rather solidly with Buu's chest, before phasing out again as the force of the blow drove Buu backwards. A flash of gold appeared behind Buu for a second, before, with another resounding thud, the pink monster was sent skyward, the flash of gold dashing above it before driving it back down to, and through, the ruined building, into the basement below.

Bursting out of the rubble again, and again with a fairly large explosion, Buu took the time to glare up at Kaen, muttering, "You are really annoying, you know that?" When Kaen just grinned, the two vanished from view, a pink streak of light colliding with a golden streak of light in rapid succession across the city, too fast for the normal eye to see. Each time the two dancing lights met, there was a crack of sound almost like thunder, as the air was 'broken' by the force of the blows.

With one final, resounding blow, the golden streak crashed into the street, sliding back several metres and digging up the bitumen. Raising his hand above his head, Buu charged another potentially deadly pink blast, lobbing it down at Kaen's fallen form, with just a grin on it's face, satisfied in it's victory. In that regard, Buu was remarkably annoyed when Kaen raised a single hand, the deadly blast being absorbed by the green gem in his left palm.

Raising his right palm, the red gem within glowed briefly, before a lance of energy blasted out at high speed, boring a hole clear through Buu's chest before fading out again. Grinning up at Buu, and watching the smoking hole slowly fill itself in again, Kaen commented, "I'm not going out that easy Pinko." With another glare from the pink monstrosity, the pair vanished once more, and the dance of lights resumed.

_-The scattered souls will feel the hell that is wasted on the shores-_

"Where the hell is Kaen getting all this power from?" Kat mused to no one in particular, "I mean, I knew he had more power than he showed anyone, but this?"

"There's more to what's going on here than brute strength," Avarrdo commented.

"What do you mean dear?" April questioned.

"It's simple," Kellre supplied, "That Kaen has a great, as of yet untapped well of strength is not disputed, but what we're seeing here is actually more to do with highly efficient ki usage."

A completely clueless look on her face, Kat muttered, "Huh?"

"The swords that Kaen and Pi forged have many abilities," he continued, "And one of those abilities is that focusing energy through a single sword effectively doubles the amount of energy available, as the blade increases the potency of the ki in question."

"So, by using both his own sword, and Pi's, he's effectively running at four times whatever power level he's at?" Truniz paraphrased.

"Exactly," Avarrdo replied with a nod.

Ever confident in her adopted brother's abilities, and choosing to believe - correctly - that despite being a Super Saiyan Three Goku chose not to try and win, Kat smiled broadly, remarking, "He might just win this thing after all."

Kellre, however, remained grim, replying, "Let us hope."

_-On the blackest waves in history, we watch them as they go-_

There had been a stunned, and somewhat tense, silence across the Lookout ever since Kaen had reacher Super Saiyan 2, as the denizens aboard the floating platform chose instead to watch the fight unfolding. It couldn't last forever though, and, true enough, the silence was soon broken as Videl commented, "Well Oran, it looks like you were right." She may not have understood much, but she had a good enough grasp of ki control to realise Kaen's level was currently quite a bit higher than it was before Pi's death.

"It's not enough though," Trunks remarked.

Goten nodded, "Daddy's a Super Saiyan Three and he wasn't strong enough to beat Buu, an' he's stronger now."

"I dunno," Goku argued, "I mean, he may not be as strong as I am, but he seems to have much more stamina. I mean, he's taken quite a bit of damage, but he hasn't lost any strength."

Noticing the frown on the young boy's face, Videl asked, "Hey Oran, what's up?"

Still frowning, the boy remarked, "I just... I just don't understand why Kaen's still not using his full strength. I mean, if he waits too long, it'll be too late to revive Pi."

Spinning to face him, Piccolo asked, "He's not using his full power? How can you tell?"

The young Saiyan seemed to struggle to find the right answer, before replying, "I don't know. Maybe it's just 'coz I've been training with him so long, or maybe I can sense people's true power levels, I haven't worked that out yet; it only seems t work on him. I can just tell that niichan's got more strength he's not using." When the boy refused to say any more on the issue, the group turned back to the fight, to see whether or not the Saiyan powerhouse could defeat Majin Buu or not.

_-Through fire and pain, and once again we know-_

Kaen crashed into the ground, quickly flipping over onto his feet as he continued to slide. Once his momentum had worn off, he quickly wiped a trail of blood from the corner of his mouth, the back of his left gauntlet absorbing the red liquid, before he launched off the ground again. After laying into Buu for a few moments, he kicked off it again, aiming both hands towards it and firing off two super-heated red blasts; his Twin Nova technique.

The two blasts began weaving around, spiralling around Buu's form for a moment, before both striking down at the same time in different places. The Saiyan pyromancer watched curiously as the damage the blasts caused seemed to take longer than usual to 'heal' away again. Kaen just grinned; he'd stumbled upon Buu's weakness. Well, _a_ weakness, in any case. He just needed to find an opportunity to use that knowledge.

It seemed that opportunity was slipping away fast, the dual blow having angered Majin Buu, if the look on its face was anything to go by. Glaring at him again, Buu shouted, "That hurt! You actually hurt me! You insignificant pest!"

Kaen just shrugged, "Hey, you wanted a challenge, you got a challenge. You didn't think I was doing this for my health did you?"

Buu just grinned, "Well then, I guess I should take this seriously shouldn't I?"

_-So now we fly ever free-_

Before Kaen could reply to this statement, Buu seemed to roll itself into a ball, a feat only possible given it's total lack of bones. Task completed, Buu blasted forward, like it had been fired out of a cannon, and it barrelled towards him at high speed. Barely dodging out of the way, he turned to follow it, only to see Buu turning in flight to come swinging back. He quickly raised his gauntleted hands to block, but was still sent sprawling from the blow, sliding a few metres on the ground, his forearms aching from the strike.

_-We're free before the thunderstorm-_

Quickly hauling himself to his feet, he dived out of the way as Buu swept past again, the Majin Cannonball digging a trench through the pavement where he'd been lying. The second his feet touched ground he leapt away again, narrowly missing being caught by Buu's continued assault. The dangerous dance continued for a while longer, Kaen always managing to keep one step ahead of Buu's attacks, courtesy of the (very) minor premonition abilities of one of his past selves. Even that, however, only lasted for so long.

_-On towards the wilderness our quest carries on-_

It was the simplest thing, really, that brought the entire house of cards crashing down. A section of the pavement, weakened by the continued shockwaves of Buu's impacts, gave way under Kaen's foot, causing him to stumble. This, in turn, allowed the Majin Cannonball to make contact with Kaen's unprotected back, and before he could recover, he was struck again, and again. For the second time that day, Kaen was pummelled by attacks.

_-Far beyond the sundown, far beyond the moonlight-_

"Come on Kaen," Pi cried, watching the ongoing fight in the crystal ball the ogre had brought her, "You can do better than that!"

In truth, the 'crystal ball' was the magical equivalent of a big screen TV. When the ogre had first provided a crystal ball for her to watch the fight on, it was more of a portable TV, but it seemed she began drawing quite the crowd as she yelled support. As such, they had upgraded to the jumbo-sized ball they were using now. If the brief introductions she'd gotten were true, some of the people watching were warriors from other planets and galaxies, taking time off their training on some place called the Grand Kai's planet, but she wasn't paying too much attention to them.

"He's still holding back," the guy next to her commented; some green guy by the name of Pikkon, or something. Pi just nodded to herself, returning her attention to the fight.

_-Deep inside our hearts and all our souls-_

As each blow landed, Kaen felt himself growing more and more enraged. Each time he was struck, his energy took a minor dip from the blow, then a large spike from the anger. This... this _thing_ was wasting his time, it had killed his mate, and it was toying with him. With an almighty yell, the sphere of golden energy returned, vaporising more of the city and driving the Buu Ball away from him, but rather than flying away, Buu continued to circle the shield, waiting for the chance to attack again.

Charging a massive amount of energy into his right fist, Kaen dropped the shield, letting fly with a devastating punch to Buu the moment he came into range. As the pink ball impacted with the edge of a nearby building, the people observing were surprised to see that, rather than either Buu rebounding, or the building giving way, the pink ball exploded like a bug hitting a windshield on the highway.

Floating down to land on the roof of a small shop, Kaen closed his eyes, focusing his thoughts inwards. He wasn't strong enough. He could tell he had more power, he just couldn't access it, and so he did the only thing he could. Sifting through two hundred and forty years of memories, Kaen locked on to every negative thought he could, using it to fuel his rage. Looking to the demon beneath his skin, he didn't _ask_ for more energy, he _demanded_ it, and it was granted to him.

_-So far away we wait for the day-_

Avarrdo looked quickly to the console before him as a warning light began flashing, before commenting, "We're picking up an uncontrolled power flow increase."

Looking to the others, Truniz added, "Look's like the boy's pullin' out all the stops."

"It's too soon," Kellre murmured with a shake of his head.

"What do you mean 'too soon'? It seems to me he needs all the power he can get," Kat replied.

Kellre sighed. "Have you ever wondered why you can only access so much energy at a time, but with training, can access more?" She shrugged. "The body can only handle so much, and through training, you can increase this limit. However, after each increase, the body needs to recover. This will be the second increase Kaen has gotten today. He's not going to be able to control it properly. He's barely in control as it is."

"What are you saying?" Kat asked frantically, "Are you saying he can't win?"

Kellre sighed, "I'm saying, if luck is not on our side, Majin Buu may become the _least_ of this planet's problems, and we may witness first-hand what brought about the end of Planet Saiya."

_-For the lights are so wasted and gone-_

Bulma gasped as the Lookout began shaking, joining Chichi in looking up from their card game at the others for an explanation; the pair were trying to avoid noticing the fighting going on back down on Earth, as they'd both already lost a loved one to that ugly pink thing. When no one seemed to notice their scrutiny, she asked, "What's going on?"

"He's so strong..." Trunks muttered to himself, "Stronger than dad."

"Who is?" Bulma prodded.

The boy turned to look at her, replying, "Kaen. Seems he was holding back during the tournament."

"And if he's this strong, you can bet Pi is as well," Videl added, "I remember her telling me they were the same strength."

"But how is he shaking the Lookout?" Chichi asked.

"He's not," Goku replied, without looking away, "He's shaking the entire planet. His power's rising at an incredible rate. I still remember the first time I reached the third level, I nearly destroyed a good part of the Grand Kai's planet, and I didn't have blind rage fuelling me."

Smiling weakly, Krillin muttered, "I'm not sure who to root for anymore."

Shaking his head, Piccolo just commented grimly, "We could be in a lot of trouble."

_-We feel the pain of a lifetime lost in a thousand days-_

Kaen's eyes faded to white again, his gaze distant, and his conscious mind lost in the red haze of memories past. As such, he never noticed how badly the ground was shaking, or the massive bolts of lightning falling from the mass of swirling clouds above his form. Near gale force winds picked up, swirling around Kaen and dragging the clouds down to form a massive tornado, with Kaen in the eye.

Dragging itself back together, Buu growled, "Oh no, not this time. I'm not going to let you power up!" Charging forward, he drew his fist back to strike at Kaen, only to be repelled by a blast of lightning. Picking itself up again, Buu tried once more, only this time, the force of the wind slung him around to come crashing into the building behind. Venting steam in its parody of a power-up, Buu began firing blast after blast as Kaen's immobile form, but every one of them was cancelled out by his aura.

_-Through the fire and the flames we carry on-_

As rising shout began to emerge from Kaen's mouth, the wind sped up further, and the clouds maintained a near constant ring of lightning around him, the bolts of electricity digging a near-circular trench. His hair began to extend, gravity proving ineffective at holding the sheer mass aloft, as the bolts of electricity circling his form began sheering through the pavement.

With one final, ear-shattering shout, Kaen's aura exploded outwards wildly, the searing heat turning much of the surrounding area to molten slag, including Majin Buu; of course, the evil bubblegum monster regenerated itself as per usual. The expanding wave of energy rippled through the city, although the damage lessened the further it went. Still, for blocks in all directions, plants and trees were set alight, water boiled, glass cracked, plastic warped, rubber melted, and metal began glowing red, all from the sheer heat.

_-As the red day is dawning, and the lightning cracks the sky-_

The colour returned to his eyes, the iris' of them now almost blue, and, for possibly the first time, his pupil's visible. His golden hair stopped where his tail began, and even his tail itself seemed to have doubled in girth as it waved lazily behind him. The excess power bleeding off him caused the occasional spark of blue electricity to arc around him, as well as keeping the storm clouds circling above, and every now and then, a stray lightning bolt would fall, kicking up shards of concrete.

Unimpressed by the light and weather show, Buu glared over at him, declaring, "So you're one of those Super Saiyan Three's as well as you? So what, it changes nothing! The last one couldn't even scratch me!"

_-They'll raise their hands to the heavens above with resentment in their eyes.-_

Kaen said nothing, merely raising his hand above his head, staring back at Buu with nothing but rage in his eyes. A deep red ball of ki grew from the gem in his palm, expanding until it reached the size of a small car, before shrinking to about the size of a coconut. With a casual, if empty, comment of, "Blast Burn," Kaen calmly tossed the ball of energy towards Majin Buu, who, in turn, fired a blast of his own to intercept it, rather than dodging it; the pink monster was thus unprepared when the exploding deep red ball of ki sent shockwaves through the air, similar to an earthquake.

As Buu went tumbling end over end through the air, Kaen disappeared from view. Before it could right itself again, Buu's direction was violently changed by an unseen impact from behind, sending him skyward, before his rubbery body was rocked by a series of blows too fast for even the most powerful fighters on Earth to follow. With a final devastating blow, Majin Buu was sent careening down the street for three whole blocks, it's face digging a fairly large trench in the road.

_-Running back through the mid-morning light, there's a burning in my heart-_

With a near primal growl, Kaen raced after Buu's receding form, punching holes clear through anything that got in his way; buildings, trees, signposts, and so on. He no longer truly saw Majin Buu, his vision having long faded red due to bloodlust. All he saw now was 'the enemy', and 'the enemy' must be destroyed at all cost. He didn't care about the planet, nor did he care about anyone on it. He even only vaguely cared about his dead mate.

This was, in truth, the cause of the problem; Pi's death. A broken bond, and near uncontrollable power increasing at an exponential rate even now, made for a dangerous combination, and, had Hercule not done the smart thing and gotten the citizens of Satan City out of the war zone, it might have resulted in many a death; not that Kaen would have cared. Kicking Buu skyward once more, Kaen raised both hands, forming a massive orange sphere of energy in mere seconds, before hurling it up at Buu with a feral cry; "Terra Destroyer!"

_-We're banished from the time in the fallen land, to a light beyond the stars-_

"By the five Kais," Pikkon breathed, "He's out of control."

"Sure is kicking a lot of ass though," the blond man next to him remarked; Olibu. This sentiment seemed to be shared by the rest of the people watching.

The crystal ball, and the people watching it, had been relocated to the courtyard of the Grand Kai's planet, and as such, the viewing audience had increased tremendously. Technically, Pi wasn't supposed to be on the planet, as she hadn't even been judged yet, let alone given permission, but the Grand Kai himself had brought her there, with the offhanded remark she was gonna wind up here anyway sooner or later.

"This, fighters, is what happens when you let your power control you," the Grand Kai remarked, to the murmured agreement of the four other Kais with him.

Pi, however, tuned them all out, focusing instead on the face of her mate, through the giant crystal display. Even with the bond a mere shadow of it's former self, she almost swore she could still feel Kaen's emotions, could feel the rage, and the loss, running through him. Pressing her hand against the massive crystal ball, ignorant of the twin tear trails running down her face, she whispered, "Stay strong Kaen. Please, stay strong."

_-In the blackest dreams we do believe our destiny this time-_

Gohan paused in his training, wiping his brow as he stabbed the heavy Z-Sword into the dirt before him, leaning on it as he caught his breath. He only vaguely remembered the sword training he'd done with Mirai Trunks seven years ago, but he knew he had to get stronger. He needed to be able to protect the Earth, to protect his family, to protect Videl... Idly, he thought to himself, he'd really have to tell her the truth about everything when he got back.

He balked for a moment as he felt the niggle at the back of his senses, telling him there was a massive power level far away, getting stronger. Having felt his father's power level when he'd been fighting before, he had naturally assumed it was still him. Even when Buu's power level almost doubled, he still assumed it was his father fighting; after all, who else could be that strong?

Now, however, as he felt that second power level continue to rise, he had second thoughts. Turning to Kibito and the Supreme Kai, he asked, "Hey Supreme Kai, do you know what's going on down on Earth?"

Kibito grimaced - nothing new - and the Supreme Kai frowned slightly, before replying, "Your friend Kaen is battling Majin Buu. Somehow, Majin Buu has changed form, and this one is almost twice as powerful as the one that defeated you before."

_-And endlessly we'll all be free tonight-_

"I realise that much," Gohan replied, before the first part hit him, "Wait, Kaen? The same Kaen I fought at the tournament? When did he get this strong? We were both fighting at full power."

Shaking his head, Shin replied, "I must admit that I underestimated him. Like you, Kaen was only fighting with the full power he could _access_. It appears there was a massive well of energy below the surface, waiting to be released."

"Now, however, too much has been released at once," Kibito grunted.

"So," Gohan asked, "You mean Kaen might be strong enough to defeat Buu?"

Shin just shook his head again, replying, "That he has the strength to defeat Majin Buu is undisputed. However, I do not believe he has the control to wield it well enough to do so. I only pray there is enough of him left in there to avoid the total destruction of Earth."

_-And on the wings of a dream, so far beyond reality-_

Kaen paused in his senseless beating of Buu, giving the evil creature time to recover and prepare for the next wave. Somewhere in his primal, rage-fogged mind, Kaen felt he didn't have enough power to defeat Buu; after all, surely if he was strong enough, it would be dead by now, right? With that belief in mind, Kaen set about finding more power, demanding more power of his Saiyan soul. Despite his animalistic behaviour, Kaen was still fully aware of every technique he knew, and full capable of using all of them; his blood was in control of his actions, but he still was, at the core, the same Kaen.

He started by using his Rage Pyre technique to its maximum effect; like the Kaioken, it had levels, and, like the Kaioken, it was a power multiplier, not a static boost. Thus, when Kaen shouted "Rage Pyre Fury Fifty!" his power level increased dramatically, as his aura flared red, his golden hair taking on a rust-like tinge, and his near-blue eyes taking a red tint too.

Despite the massive damage caused to the surrounding environment by this power-up, Kaen's instinctual mind decided even this was not enough, so it resorted to the second, more dangerous power-up technique he had: Overheat. His body began glowing red-hot as the technique activated; in truth, the red-hot glow came from an aura wrapped around his body, but it didn't look like that from a distance.

The trouble with this technique was that, whereas techniques like Kaioken and Rage Pyre damaged the body when they were activated - like most overchanneling techniques - Overheat did not. It was specifically designed as a last-ditch, bottom-of-the-ninth, winner-takes-all technique, and as such, it reduced, if not removed completely, the body's fail-safes on overchanneling, allowing the user to draw in much more power then was safe without taking the damage normally associated with drawing in too much ki; however, once the technique wore off...

_-All alone in desperation, now the time is gone-_

"Damn..." Kellre grimaced to himself as he watched the fight; he was afraid this would happen. Kaen, in his wild state, was over-reaching, and it was going to lead to his death. Closing his eyes, he set about damage control.

Soon, as Kaen's power began growing, and waves of energy were sent out even beyond the planet's atmosphere, the Icebreaker began to shake; even the mighty Icebreaker's stabilisers could only cope with so much. Grabbing hold of the console before her, Kat cried, "What's going on?"

"It's Kaen," Avarrdo replied, barely staying stable himself, "His power's growing at an exponential rate; he can't possibly hope to contain it."

"This is bad," Truniz commented, "This is very bad. We'll be lucky if he doesn't shake the entire planet apart."

Eyes wide, Kat breathed, "You mean... Kaen's going to die?" It had never once occurred to her that her all-powerful brother could actually die.

Avarrdo sighed, closing his eyes, and wrapping an arm around April's shoulder. "From the moment he hit the third level, he was living on borrowed time. I fear that, at this point, Kaen's death is all but a forgone conclusion..."

Turning her eyes to her mate, who was being unusually quiet, Raene asked, "What are you doing dear?"

"Damage control," he replied, without opening his eyes, "I know he's in there somewhere. I fear it's too late to prevent him being destroyed by his own power, but if I'm lucky, I may be able to bring him back before it's too late for the rest of us."

_-Lost inside you'll never find, lost within my own mind-_

As Kaen's power continued to rise, the damage to the surrounding area became more prominent: the earth began to shake violently, no less than a seven on the Richter scale, shaking some of the more unstable buildings to their foundations; great rents were torn in the ground, massive fault lines opening; cyclonic winds, tearing up trees, power poles and the like, and hurling them across the city.

The damage to the city was so great, even the bomb shelter under city hall, where the citizens of Satan City hid, was ripped from the ground, and flung like an empty can across the city; fortunately, their luck held, as there was enough power in the throw for the shelter, which had been built self-contained, to reach the massive lake to the southwest of the city, where it skipped all the way across, losing momentum, to rest on the opposite bank. Most importantly, the people within were fine, albeit shaken up, and out of the line of fire.

_-Day after day this misery must go on-_

This action just seemed to prove to Kellre that Kaen was, indeed, still in there, buried underneath all the layers of rage. Reaching his mind out telepathically, he sought to communicate with the troubled Saiyan. The second his mind made contact, he was instantly flooded with wave after wave of powerful emotions. They weren't quite as strong as what Kaen was feeling, more of an echo due to the mental contact, which spoke of how strong these emotions were in him, that a mere echo was almost deafening.

There were almost no records, to his knowledge, of Saiyans who had suffered from a broken bond; after all, they tended not to be very chatty people, and there weren't many who weren't _with_ their bondmate at time of death. There were also none that had anywhere near this power, but, nonetheless, there were two basic 'strains' of sufferers: those who fell into a depression, and those who flew into a homicidal rage; Kaen, clearly, was one of the latter.

Kellre knew that the only way he could bring Kaen around was to shock him out of his berserker rage, and the only way he could do that safely was with mental 'shoves' in the right direction. He just prayed that it was enough.

_-So far away we wait for the day-_

Pi struggled to keep her emotions in check as she watched her mate powering up to suicidal levels, and still going. She had to keep a level head, and find some way to help him... With a start, she remembered something: Goku kept in contact with his family and friends from here through a medium, a 'King Kai' if she remembered rightly.

Spinning around to face the massive audience, she shouted, "Which one of you is King Kai?"

A blue-skinned being towards the back, dressed mostly in black, and with a halo above his head, replied in a nasal voice, "I am."

She raced over to him, saying, "I need your help. I need to speak to Kaen."

King Kai started to sweat, "What make you think I-"

"Please," Pi cut him off, "I know you help Goku to keep in touch with his family. I just need to speak to Kaen for a minute. I need to help him."

He sighed, "Fine, fine. Just place your hand on my back, and I'll do the rest."

_-For the lights are so wasted and gone-_

Kaen's power continued to climb, and the power bleed continued to cause more and more widespread damage. Great faults in the earth began spewing forth pillars of molten lava. Lightning bolts the size of trees began raining from the pitch-black clouds swirling above, from which swarms of miniature tornadoes began dropping. Plant matter not utterly destroyed in the 'weather' so far started spontaneously combusting, despite the torrential rain. And, more dangerously, green rifts began opening in the sky (1). Even Majin Buu was not except from damage, being struck multiple times by lava faults, lightning bolts, and the like; of course, this did little to the creature bar pissing it off.

And in the centre of this localised Armageddon stood Kaen. All around him for about half a block in all directions, the ground had become a massive sinkhole, save the pillar of earth he stood on. His eyes began glowing bright red, a sign all Saiyans know well, as his face began elongating, and his muscles bulging; his primal rage demanded more power, and the only way for his body to achieve it was through the Oozaru transformation, and Kaen, thanks to one of his past lives, did not require the light of the full moon, or a simulation thereof, to achieve it.

This, however, Kellre could not allow. _"Focus!"_ He telepathically shouted, _"Remember your training! Control your power!"_ He realised that he was getting nowhere, so he tried a different track. _"Remember Pi! Remember your mate!"_ This time, he got a result, as Kaen's power briefly stopped rising, before began again at a slower climb, so he tried again, _"Stop! If you don't control yourself, you will _lose_ her _forever_! You are her only hope! CONTROL YOURSELF!"_

_-We feel the pain of a lifetime lost in a thousand days-_

Kaen let out a primal roar, one that was wavering between his normal voice, and the deep bass of the Oozaru; Kellre had caught him on the edge between the two, and if he wasn't careful, Kaen would be pushed over. But as he quickly racked his brain for that final nudge in the right direction, he received some help from an unexpected source, one that couldn't fail.

_"Kaen,"_ Pi's voice rang out in Kaen's mind, and had he not heard it himself through the telepathic connection, Kellre would never have believed it; from that single word alone, even though it was not his mind, Kellre could almost feel the red fog lifting. _"Kaen, you have to control yourself. Please, for me. I know you have the power, the skill, and the will to defeat Majin Buu. Use it. Make me proud. Defeat Buu, and we will be together again."_

_-Through the fire and the flames we carry on-_

With a final massive roar, this time one completely human - well, Saiyan - the abnormal weather instantly halted as if it had never been. The winds died down, becoming deathly still, almost eerily so, as did the ground itself. The massive clouds vanished without a trace, and, to the great relief of the others, the green rifts in the sky sealed shut again. There was still the occasional pillar of lava left, but, with but a glance from Kaen, those hardened instantly.

Kaen glared over at Majin Buu, arcs of lightning shooting around his form from the, now more controlled, ki bleed, as the pink thing pulled itself back together, floating high above the city. It had killed Gohan, it had killed Vegeta, and, worst of all, it had killed Pi, and it had the audacity to still be alive. This Kaen would not allow. He would bring an end to Majin Buu's continued existence, even at the cost of his life. And fortunately, he had just the thing in mind; but first, he needed to weaken it a little.

_-Woahoo-oh, Woahoo-oh, Woahoo-ooh-ooh-ohh-oh!-_

"What the hell is he doing?" Gohan questioned, observing the fight in the crystal ball the Supreme Kai had created; training or no training, he was _not_ going to miss the fight of the millennium. As the three of them watched, Kaen crouched down as if moving in slow motion, seeming to leave a trail of 'ghosts' of himself as he did so; there were three separate images, if Gohan's guess was right, excluding the 'original'.

After a moment in this position, almost like he was kneeling in prayer, Kaen leapt into the sky, still in slow motion, the three images trailing slightly behind him. He swung around Majin Buu's stationary form, the evil pink monster seemingly as confused as everyone else watching. When Kaen stopped moving - or at least, appeared to stop moving - there were four images of him around Buu; one each directly in front and behind, and one each between them, and all four seemed ghost-like. Then, with an almost audible pop, all four images seemed to 'solidify', and the four Kaen's grinned.

And then the beating began.

_-Woahoo-oh, Woahoo-oh, Woahoo-ooh-ooh-ohh-oh!-_

The Saiyan families aboard the Icebreaker watched in shock as the four Kaen's began laying into Buu at blindingly fast speeds, so much so that only their torsos and heads were visible, and even then, only most of the time. It seemed even Majin Buu's body didn't have time to register all the blows, as, by the look on things, by the time one blow could have been felt, at least eleven more would have hit.

What confused almost everyone the most, however, was the fact that, judging by the short moment they'd seen before the all-out brawl began, all four Kaen's were wearing golden gauntlets. Turning to the person most likely to know, Kellre, Kat asked, "What's going on? How come all four of them have the gauntlets? I mean, I know Kaen can copy himself, but he can't copy those."

"He hasn't," Kellre replied with a shrug, "What we're seeing here is much simpler, but at the same time, much more complex."

"Gee, thanks for clearing that up bro," Truniz quipped sarcastically, without taking his eyes off the brutality on the screen; sure, he couldn't _see_ most of it, but he could imagine, and what he did see put a smirk on his face.

"Let me put it another way," Kellre replied, "Only the real Kaen is wearing the gauntlets. Think about that for a moment."

"So... His copies just copied the image?" Truniz guessed.

"Can't," Avarrdo replied, "From what I've seen, they can only copy him, nothing more."

It suddenly clicked to Kat, who turned quickly from the screen to her adopted father to ask, "Wait, you're saying all four of them are the real Kaen?"

"Correct young Kat," the aged scientist replied, "Somehow, Kaen has found a way to simultaneously exist in multiple places at once. If you'll look closely, you'll notice that the four images are each a few nanoseconds apart in their actions." Forestalling any questions into the 'why' of it, he continued, "As to why he's doing this, I believe he noticed the same thing I did earlier; Buu takes longer to heal from simultaneous damage than from regular damage. Two strikes, in different places, at the same time, take longer to heal than two at different times."

"The bigger concern," Kellre commented, "Is that Kaen's energy is not wavering even in the slightest."

"What do you mean?" April asked, worried for her eldest son's safety, "Surely whatever he's using to be like that requires energy."

He nodded, "A great deal I would imagine. Added to that, if the sensor's calculations are correct, each individual blow the four Kaen's make is packed with enough ki to punch a hole through the hull of almost any space ship bar this one, and even then, the hull of the Icebreaker would warp. And yet, his energy has not changed since he took control over it."

"The only conclusion I can come to," Avarrdo added, "Is that the second power-up Kaen used is replenishing his energy as fast as he can use it, and burning up his essence to do it."

"Essence?" Kat questioned.

Avarrdo's lecturing tone made an appearance. "You know about energy, or ki, correct, and how every living thing, from trees to people, has it?" She nodded, giving him the typical 'what are you, stupid?' look, so he continued, "Well, there is a second type of 'energy' that everything has: the 'energy' used to keep things in the physical world. We dubbed that 'essence', or 'chi'."

Giving it a few moments to sink in, Kellre took over, "Normally, every inanimate object, like a chair, or a rock, has just essence, but no ki; there are exceptions to this general rule, as Kaen and Pi's sword proves. Conversely, every animate object has essence, to allow it to exist, and ki, to allow it to _be_ animate. An animate object with zero ki becomes temporarily inanimate, until it has ki again; such as people going to sleep. An object with zero essence, however, no longer has the 'energy' required to sustain its existence, and dies."

"There are, obviously, ways to 'cheat death'," Avarrdo commented, ignoring the womenfolk's gasps at Kellre's statement, "Goku, for instance, is a person with ki, but no essence, so he needs a replacement 'energy' to keep him in the mortal world; in this case, the magicks of one Uranai Baba."

"Even fuelled by Baba's magicks, Goku could only contain the power of the base level of Super Saiyan Three for so long," Kellre continued, pointing out how exhausted Goku looked towards the end of the fight, "Which indicates that maintaining Super Saiyan Three uses essence. That, on it's own, is survivable; by all reports, Tienshinhan's Tri Beam technique also uses essence for a power boost. However, combined with what he's doing now..." His face grim, he concluded, "If we're right, and there is little chance we're not, then Kaen does not have much time left. At most, I'd give him five more minutes."

"Does Kaen know?" April asked softly.

Avarrdo nodded. "One would think." The mood on the Icebreaker was sombre, as everyone returned their attention back to what would be Kaen's final fight.

_-Now here we stand with their blood on our hands-_

A silent warning went off in Kaen's head, so he halted his brutal assault, the 'front' Kaen giving Buu one final uppercut, as the other three seemed to flow clockwise around Buu until they were part of him again. Raising his right hand, Buu's ascent was abruptly halted as a blackish-purple field of energy materialised around it; Kaen's Gravity Field technique. The gravitational pull wasn't nearly as strong as the artificial singularity that was Gravity Cannon, but with the massive damage Buu'd surely taken, it'd keep him still long enough for Kaen to pull off what he had dubbed his 'Limit Break', after some game he'd gotten the twins to play.

As he threw his hands out to either side of his body, at about waist height, he could feel blood running down both his arms, dripping out the seams in his gauntlets; he didn't have much longer before his body gave out on him entirely, but he would, through sheer force of will if nothing else, make this attack. Pi's words returned to him, and he repeated them to himself. He had the power, he had the skill, and he had the will necessary to destroy this abomination.

_-We've fought so hard now can we understand?-_

"What the hell is he doing?" Krillin questioned, "He's just standing... err, floating there."

"He's going to use his trump card," Oran replied, his voice subdued, "His most powerful, and dangerous, technique."

"Uh, has he ever used it before?" Goku asked, his voice having a strange inflection to it. The older Saiyan felt a little odd that this young Saiyan, just older than his son, who he had found out today had been a Super Saiyan before him, was actually currently holding a power level Goku couldn't yet reach, but did take a strange, sick sort of satisfaction in the knowledge that he couldn't sustain it without killing himself; born and raised a Saiyan or not, Goku still had the Saiyan determination to always be the strongest, and felt weird that, for the first time, someone younger than him had more power. Obviously, Gohan didn't count, as he was family.

Lime answered Goku's question, "No, he's never had the need to use this particular incarnation, but he _has_ used one of the weaker versions before."

"When?" Videl asked.

Together, the twins replied, "When Pi first died."

_-I'll break the seal of this curse if I possibly can-_

In his left hand, a ki ball of the purest white formed, so bright that, as it grew in power, it began to make the sun look dim. In his right hand, formed a ki ball of the darkest black, the void so strong it actually started to absorb the light around it. As Kaen poured more and more of his energy into the two balls, the lava fountains returned, bursting forth at random; one actually erupted just under where he stood, his brutal assault on Buu having carried him to the eastern outskirts of town, but the sheer volume of his energy pushed it back, hardening it into a pillar of once-molten rock beneath him.

Unknowingly, Kaen had begun chanting "I'll kill you" to himself as he charged the attack, gradually rising in volume the more energy he pumped into it. He could almost feel his body giving out on him, as he forced more and more of his life force into the blast; it got to the point that, in a fairly gory display, he even began sweating blood, tiny wounds opening up across his body. Finally, though, there was enough energy in the blast to do what needed to be done: to destroy Majin Buu.

_-For freedom of every man-_

Throwing his arms forward, Kaen struggled to force the two balls of ki together, the positive and negative energies clashing. Finally, though, the two balls merged, forming a single basketball-sized ball of energy, swirling with black and white streaks across its surface, like some bizarre zebra stripe pattern.

Aiming the ball at Buu - not that accuracy really _mattered_ when dealing with this much raw energy - Kaen shouted out a final "I'LL KILL YOU! UNHOLY INFERNO!" and fired the blast.

_-So far away we wait for the day-_

The denizens of Other World watched in awe at the size of the blast that uttered forth from the fairly small ball of energy; it was quite obvious, from the purity of the individual balls' colours, that the energy contained within was concentrated, but they still didn't quite expect this...

A veritable wall of energy, some fifty-odd foot in radius, raced towards the immobilised Majin Buu, before carrying it off at high speeds, almost completely hidden from view by the intensity of the blast. Every couple hundred metres or so, a ring of energy would bleed off, expanding out for about another fifteen feet. All this wouldn't have been as much of a problem, if Kaen hadn't been a mere twenty-odd foot off the ground when he fired it; as such, the blast carved a massive trench off to the east of Satan City, carving deeper cuts across the trench every time a ring of energy would bleed off.

_-For the lights are so wasted and gone-_

Due to the curve of the earth, and the slight angle at which it had been fired, the blast veered off the planet less than a foot away from the coastline, after having sheered straight through the mountain range; as chance would have it, a pulse of energy had been released while going through the mountains, carving a massive chunk out of the range.

The blast continued off, travelling at high speeds through space, and causing some damage through the solar system: a pulse of energy glanced Mars' ice cap, which no doubt would cause it to begin melting, and possibly start terraforming of the planet. The beam of energy sliced neatly through the asteroid belt, erasing many a chunk of rock from existence. Another pulse of energy just missed wiping out one of Jupiter's moons, while Saturn and the planets after it lucked out, being far enough away that they were missed completely. By the time the energy from the blast was gone, the remains (if any) of Buu rested part way through Neptune's orbit.

There was absolute silence on the Grand Kai's planet for a few moments, before the Grand Kai himself whistled, commenting, "Damn..."

_-We feel the pain of a lifetime lost in a thousand days-_

"Holy shit!" Kat near-screeched, watching the giant beam of energy obliterating Buu.

Truniz whistled appreciatively, commenting, "Wow. Can't say I saw that comin'..."

Kellre nodded, "That was, indeed, an impressive display of power."

"Was it enough though?" Raene asked.

Avarrdo just shrugged, "Guess we'll find out soon enough won't we?"

_-Through the fire and the flames we carry on!-_

Kaen grinned tiredly, his eyes fading back to black, as his elongated golden hair seemed to almost shatter into fragments of light, his usual length black hair returning, and his raging aura vanishing completely. With a flash of light, the two golden gauntlets changed back into their original sword form, plummeting down to imbed themselves in the ground on either side of the pillar of hardened lava below him.

"Well... Pi... I got 'im," he rasped, struggling to draw breath, before his strength gave out entirely, and he fell from the sky, landing at the base of the pillar, at the foot of the massive trench his attack carved. It was there, drawing breath after laboured breath, that the last of his life force slowly ebbed away.

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

(1) The same thing happened when Buu, having absorbed Gohan, was fighting Vegeto, placing Kaen's power level at a point within canon.

Now, I know a lot of people are gonna go "WTF? Kaen's a Super Saiyan 3? I thought you said he wasn't going to be stronger than canon characters." The answer is: he's not. Keep in mind that to reach the level of strength where he was stronger than Goku, he needed to practically kill himself through extra power-up techniques, so it's not the sort of thing you use in friendly combat. I mean, Goku himself has a power-up technique he could use to increase his strength - the Kaioken - so his best isn't really his _best_. Kaen's non-power-up, non-blind-rage best would be around Super Saiyan 2.

The other reason for the power jump is simple: to help him keep up with Gohan, his rival. Vegeta got a power boost (the Majin magic) to help him keep up with Goku, _his_ rival, so I'm simply evening things out. The half-Saiyan's getting training to bring out his power, which would again put him as the strongest. That, and I just don't like Goku, so I don't see why he should be the only one to reach that level. I fully believe that Vegeta, prior to blowing himself up, could have reached Super Saiyan Three if given the right motivation, such as witnessing the death of Bulma and/or Trunks right before his eyes, however it probably would have resulted in his death soon after.

I know that no matter what I say, there will still be people complaining about Kaen's current Gary Stu-esque nature, but having written this, I can understand why people create such high-powered characters. I mean, the part of me that is a reader of fanfiction agrees with the sentiment that Kaen is too powerful, but the part of me that writes fanfiction says 'Fuck it. It's my story, and I'll do what I like with it. If I want to rip causality a new one, that's my business.'

In short, review if you want, but any complaints are unwanted, and will be ignored.

In other news, you may or may not have noticed that this chapter is late. I was run off my feet the day I was due to upload it, and then I was called in to work the next day, and there was a massive drama there I don't feel like going into here, meaning I almost forgot to submit it again today. So, here it is.


	35. D11A: Bring Me To Life

--- Disturbance, Book 2: Divergence ---

Chapter D11-A - Bring Me To Life

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-How can you see into my eyes like open doors?-  
-Leading you down into my core, where I've become so numb-_

Fire crackled around the ruined Satan City, both from exploded cars and ignited trees, glass shattered against the sidewalk, as cracked windows finally gave up the ghost, and thunder cracked the sky, both from the lava fountains still erupting in some places, and from the horizon, where ozone rushed to fill in the gap the massive blast tore mere moments ago.

Pi paid heed to none of this though. She had been returned to life as suddenly as it had been taken from her, returned to the exact point of her death, now a massive crater from Kaen's initial expression of rage and loss. Trusting her knowledge of the layout of the city, Pi blasted off, racing towards the place where her mate now lay dying.

As she neared the eastern outskirts of the city, she could see a pillar of rock in the distance, still glowing slightly from the molten core inside it, while red streaks ran down the outside, in a gory monument to the peak of Kaen's rage; and, if she wasn't fast enough, it would be his memorial.

Clearing the city, she spotted the humanoid form at the base of the monolith, and darted towards him. With a flick of her wrist, the two sword, embedded in the earth on either side, freed themselves and flew towards her, one of them sliding neatly into the unseen sheath on her back, and the other sliding underneath it to form an X formation; due to her own sword's invisibility, however, it appeared her mate's sword was merely stuck to her back.

Landing beside him, and kicking up a cloud of dust, which was swept into the maw of the great canyon beside her, she quickly placed her hands over his chest, forcing her energy into him as she attempted to heal him. "Kaen? Kaen, can you hear me?" His lifeblood continued to ebb however, her efforts seemingly doing little, though it was hard to tell with the mass of ambient residual ki from the blast; however, he failed to respond.

Putting her hands to her temples, she mused, "Okay Pi, think. Now is not the time for panic... The Icebreaker! Dad said he built a teleporter override into my watch!" Fiddling with the device for a few seconds, she found the function she needed, muttering to herself, "I hope they're not out of range..." With the press of a button, and a blue flash of light, the two were gone as suddenly as she had returned.

_-Without a soul-  
-My spirit sleeping somewhere cold-  
-Until you find it there and lead it back... home-_

In the depths of space, at the edge of the solar system, a consciousness stirred, and it felt pain. Its physical body had been destroyed, burnt away piece by piece and scattered across the vast emptiness of space. With that pain came anger. Anger that there had been someone strong enough to cause this much pain. It took satisfaction, however, that in the end, it had killed the pair of them.

Majin Buu knew that the one who had attacked him was dead, could feel that he had pumped his life-force into the final attack meant to kill him, but Majin Buu was far from dead; it would take more than a single upstart with a lot of power to undo the magicks of Bibidi, and banish Buu from this universe forever.

Unfortunately, with his body destroyed as it was, he would have to build a new one, and in the emptiness of space, that would take time; his hold over his physical body had been broken, the pieces too far scattered to draw them back in. Still, it could rebuild through sheer magical will, and dust particles scattered across the cosmos from the planets' movement. Though it had no mouth, Majin Buu laughed.

In time, all would feel its wrath.

_-(Wake me up) Wake me up inside-  
-(I can't wake up) Wake me up inside-  
-(Save me) Call my name and save me from the dark-_

"Oh yeah!" Oran cried out, jumping up and pumping his fist into the air, "I knew my brother could beat that thing!" He cast a jeering eye at Goku. "See? I _knew_ he was stronger than you! When he gets here, I am _so_ going to rub it in your face."

The adults around all cast wary glances at once another, before Goku was silently elected the one to speak. He sighed, starting to explain slowly, "Oran, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but your brother..."

"What about our brother?" Lime interrupted, moving to stand beside her twin.

Goku sighed again. "There is no way his body could withstand all that energy he was drawing in. Coupled with the backlash of that attack... I'm afraid there is no way he could survive without immediate treatment, and neither Dende or myself can even find him down there."

Her bottom lip quivering, Lime asked tentatively, "Are you saying... our brother's gonna die?" Goku slowly nodded his head.

"No!" Oran shouted, "My brother can't die! It's not possible!"

Holding his hands passively, Goku replied, "I know you want to believe he's still alive, but Gohan and Vegeta-"

"-Were mortal," Oran cut him off. "My brother's not; he's a phoenix, he can't die, coz if he does he's just reborn again from the ashes, stronger than before. I'm right, just wait and see." Oran's mind would not be swayed.

Dende gasped, "No! It's not possible!" Everyone turned to face the Guardian, and he pointed a shaky finger towards the sky above. "T-There. It's... It's M..m.. It's..."

Stretching his senses out in the direction Dende pointed, Piccolo too gasped in shock at the power he felt building up. "No," he growled, "All that power, and he still..."

"What is it?" Krillin asked fearfully.

Paling, Dende replied, "It's Majin Buu... He's still alive!"

_-(Wake me up) Bid my blood to run-  
-(I can't wake up) Before I come undone-  
-(Save me) Save me from the nothing I've become-_

With a low hum and a flash of light, the teleporter aboard the Icebreaker activated, and when the light faded, Pi crouched upon it, clutching the bleeding form of her mate. "Help!" She cried out upon spotting her family standing nearby, "I need to get him to the tanks quickly." No one moved, "Please, help me! I can't move him on my own!"

Kat moved to help, but Avarrdo held her back. Stepping forward, Kellre barked, "Which dimension are you from?"

Growing angry, she shouted back, "This one! Now help me!"

"Don't lie to me!" Her father shouted back, "Both of you used techniques today that you should not know. Now, tell me the truth: which dimension are you from? And before you start, we found the device when we searched your house."

"You SEARCHED my HOUSE?" Pi shrieked incredulously, "Do you have _NO_ respect for out privacy?"

Folding his arms, Kellre stated, "Listen-"

"No YOU listen!" Pi cut him off, "If you don't help me get Kaen healed up right _NOW_ then I swear to you on every god that ever did and ever will exist that Majin Buu will _very_ quickly become the **least** of your concerns!"

Kellre smirked, and even in her angry state she could tell he was very pleased with himself. "That's my daughter all right." Stepping forward, he pressed a few buttons on the teleporter console, saying, "This is as good a time as any to use the intra-ship transport system." With another flash of light, this time green, they were gone again.

_-Now that I know what I'm without you can't just leave me-  
-Breathe into me and make me real-  
-Bring me to life-_

When the flash cleared, Pi found herself in the regeneration tank room. "Quickly," her father prompted, "We've got to get him into the tank." Running on autopilot, she helped her father carry Kaen's limp body to the nearest tank, and the older man pressed the required key sequence to begin the process. Checking the preliminary read-out, he commented, "Well, he's borderline, but I think we got him here in time." He turned back to his dazed daughter, "Are you all right?"

"Uh, the teleporter's new," She mumbled.

He waved a hand disinterestedly, "Oh, improving this ship is a pet project of Avarrdo's and mine. Now what's really wrong?"

"It was all a set-up, wasn't it?" Pi asked accusingly, "Everything you said was just to provoke a response from me, which would hopefully be the response you expected."

He nodded. "We couldn't be sure, given your newfound abilities, that you were you." He strode forward, enveloping her in a hug. "I do have respect for you and your privacy under normal circumstances, but with the pair of you disappearing so soon after a small but intense battle, your mother and I were worried enough to bend our rules."

Her face buried in his chest, but her arms still by her side, she mumbled, "You could have come and asked."

Even without seeing his face, she could tell he was smiling, "Yes we could, but as I said, we respect your privacy; if there was a problem, you yourself would have brought it to our attention and called for help."

She felt herself smiling. "You've got an answer for everything don't you?"

"And you don't?"

She wrapped her arms around him. "You're definitely my dad."

There was a comfortable silence, broken when Kellre asked, "So, he knows the truth?"

She sighed. "Some... Not all of it. I don't think I even remember all of it myself."

"It's not important," Kellre replied, "You are where you need to be. What _is_ important is, are you happy?"

Her smiled widened, "Since the day I met him."

Kellre smiled himself, kissing the top of her head, "Then that is all I could wish for you. Now, you should eat something." She opened her mouth, but before she could say anything he added quickly, "And as I know you won't want to leave this room, I will bring it to you here." Without another word, he was off, and Pi sat down at the nearby table to watch the tank.

_-(Wake me up) Wake me up inside-  
-(I can't wake up) Wake me up inside-  
-(Save me) Call my name and save me from the dark-_

"WHAT?" This was a sentiment shared by pretty much everyone on the Lookout, but voiced by Krillin. "You're joking right? Please Dende, tell me you're just playing around."

His fist clenched so tight his nails dug into his palm, purple blood starting to drip, Piccolo stated, "He's not. Majin Buu is still alive, and rebuilding his body as we speak."

"Bullshit!" Oran shouted above the cacophony of panicked voices, "My brother was at least ten times as strong as Buu, and that attack was fifty times his limit, so how the hell can he still be alive?"

"You're right," Dende replied. "By all logic, that attack should have wiped Majin Buu from the face of the universe, but it didn't. From what I'm sensing, it just wounded him greatly."

Goku collapsed backwards onto his butt, muttering, "What a monster... To have survived an attack of that magnitude..."

Her lip quivering again, Lime asked, "You mean to tell me my brother and sister both died in vain?"

Dende shook his head. "No, their deaths did have meaning. Buu may not have been defeated, but they bought us no less than a day to prepare."

Glancing around at the adults fearfully, Goten stuttered, "But, if Kaen wasn't able to beat him with all that power, how can we?"

Goku glanced at his son, and sighed. "I just don't know..."

_-(Wake me up) Bid my blood to run-  
-(I can't wake up) Before I come undone-  
-(Save me) Save me from the nothing I've become-_

"Wait a minute," Videl piped up, drawing the attention of everyone present. "So far today, both Vegeta and Kaen have basically tried nuking Buu, correct?"

"What's your point Videl?" Bulma asked, a little defensive given that Vegeta's attempt had cost him his life.

Turning to face the older woman, the raven-haired girl replied, "What if they both failed for the same reason?"

A curious note in her voice, Chichi asked, "What reason would that be?"

"Think about it," Videl replied, waving her hands around for effect, "What happened to both Vegeta and Kaen today that might influence whether they could or could not defeat Majin Buu."

After a few moments of tense silence, as they each tried to work out the answer, Goku shouted, "Babidi's magic! They both got taken over by Babidi's spell."

"Exactly!" Videl cheered, equally happy that they'd worked it out, and that they weren't ridiculing her idea.

"I think you're on to something Videl," Dende commented, "Babidi wouldn't have wanted his servants being able to kill his pet monster, so maybe his spell did something to them to prevent them killing him."

"Or maybe," Piccolo offered, "The pair of them being taken over by the spell was proof they couldn't defeat Buu."

"Either way, it works out the same," Videl stated confidently, "Which means that all these guys need to do is master that fusion thing and get to around Buu's level, and they should have no problem defeating him."

"Then we'd better get started," Lime added, grabbing both Goten and Trunks by the back of their gi's and dragging them off, Oran in tow, to begin their training.

_-Bring me to life-  
-(I've been living a lie, there's nothing inside)-  
-Bring me to life-_

Pi sighed, resting her head against her folded arms atop the table. Her father had brought her some food a while ago, but it sat on the table to one side, uneaten, untouched. While she knew she needed food, she didn't particularly feel like eating, and given the news she'd just received, even if she had she would have thrown it up anyway...

It wasn't working. The tank was operating at full capacity, and the wounds across Kaen's body were healing, but his energy continued to decline, albeit at a snail's pace. The greatest medical science the universe had ever born witness to, and it failed. Her mate was dying, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it.

He father had come down earlier to check on things, and she'd overheard him mumble something she probably wasn't meant to hear; sometimes her father seemed to forget just how good her hearing was. He'd said that it looked like Kaen had just simply given up on living, which is why he wasn't getting better. And what hurt her worst was that she could see how he could've drawn that conclusion.

She had died, and he had flown into a homicidal rage, and when his power had waned, he no doubt would have resolved to let himself die to be with her again. The one catch to this plan was that she had been brought back to life, but not, as she originally thought, was returned to normal. The bond between her and Kaen was still not complete again, although now, it felt more as though there was a wall actively blocking her out, rather than simply... nothing.

"Oh Kaen," she whispered to herself, "Don't you want to come back to me?"

_-Frozen inside without your touch, without your love, darling-  
-Only you are the life among the dead-_

Without warning she felt a familiar comforting warmth envelop her, as an equally familiar voice whispered in her ear, "Hey, I thought I told you to stop worrying about me."

She jumped up and spun around, to see the visage of her mate standing before her, smiling softly. "You're okay!" She squealed excitedly, rushing forward to hug him, only to have her arms go right through his form.

He scratched the back of his head, a habit he picked up from Gohan no doubt. "Uh... Not exactly, no."

_-(All this time I can't believe I couldn't see)-  
-(Kept in the dark but you were there in front of me)-_

She paused for a moment, seeming to study him intently, and quite frankly it was making him nervous. "Uh Pi, what are you-" He was cut off by a slap to the face, one that, surprisingly, made contact. Holding a hand to his face, he demanded, "What the hell was that? No, scratch that, how the hell did you even do it?"

She shrugged, "Just figured it out, and needed to see if it worked."

He rubbed his cheek. "You could have tried something less dramatic..."

_-I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems-  
-Got to open my eyes to everything-_

Using her new ability, Pi hugged his incorporeal form, intent on cutting off any more griping. Putting his arms around her, Kaen muttered, "It took me three whole days to get this astral thing down, and you manage to-"

"Create a trans-phase rift my ki to allow me to contact you metaphysically?" Pi interrupted.

Kaen nodded. "-That, in a few seconds, and yet it took you nearly an entire month to learn how to fly?"

She smiled. "Correction: I knew _how_ to fly within the week. I just didn't _actually_ fly for nearly a month, coz I was milking the attention for all it was worth."

_-(Without a thought without a voice without a soul)-  
-(Don't let me die here, there must be something more!)-  
-Bring me to life-_

"And that's the sort of shit I need to talk to you about," Kaen added, "But not now. I just came back to tell you not to worry about me; I'm fine. Or I will be, assuming Gohan doesn't screw up..."

"What do you mean by that?" Pi asked curiously.

"Long story short: Phoenix and I are still linked, he's a douche, and is slowly killing me. Gohan, who, as it turns out, is still alive, was dispatched to solve the problem, but if he doesn't do it right he'll kill me too. You know, the usual." Kaen's form glowed brighter briefly, before returning to normal. "Ah, seems like it worked." He began fading out, with one final parting statement, "I'll be right back, just gotta let 'im know what's going on."

Soon, she was alone again, but now, she smiled; Kaen was all right, and together, they would move on from this. She was sure of it.

_-(Wake me up) Wake me up inside-  
-(I can't wake up) Wake me up inside-  
-(Save me) Call my name and save me from the dark-_

"Goku, tell me something," Piccolo started. "Could you have beaten Majin Buu before?"

The deceased Saiyan sighed; he'd been expecting this question sooner or later. "Honestly Piccolo, I'm not sure. If I'd powered up to my maximum right away, threw in a Super Kaioken for good measure, and hit Buu at point blank with a Super Kamehameha... Maybe. Now though... I'd need to do what Kaen did, but I'd be back in Other World before I could complete it."

"What do you mean Goku?" Krillin asked.

"I'm exhausted," Goku breathed.

"A little exhausting is nothing Dende can't fix," Piccolo barked back.

Goku shook his head. "Not this time. I've burned through most of the magic used to keep me in this plain of existence, and as such, the only way for me to recover is to go back to Other World. I guess it's lucky that Oran and Lime know fusion..."

"What are you saying Goku?" The formerly bald monk asked his dead best friend.

Goku's face was grim. "I'm running out of time. At most, I'd say I have an hour left."

_-(Wake me up) Bid my blood to run-  
-(I can't wake up) Before I come undone-  
-(Save me) Save me from the nothing I've become-_

Pi smiled to herself as she looked over the computer readout; true to his word, Kaen was indeed getting better now. Her smile dropped a little when her mates voice sounded from behind her, this time less comforting and more angry. "Alright, explain." He had projected himself back down to Hell, telling Gohan he'd be back shortly to teach him how to use that sword properly; first, he needed to get some answers.

Her face scrunched up with confusion. "Explain what?"

She almost thought she heard him growl at her. "So we're back to this are we? It's like you have split personalities... So which Pi am I talking to now? The one I grew up with, or the one I almost killed today?"

"What are you talking about Kaen? There's only one me."

"Oh really?" Kaen raised an eyebrow. "And the succubus routine from earlier was..." Pi had the good graces to blush, but said nothing; still, she wore a rather cheeky smile. "Fine. If you don't want to talk, I'll just have to go over your head." With nothing else to say Kaen strode off, in search of the one person who would certainly have the answers he sought: Kellre.

_-Bring me to life-  
-(I've been living a lie, there's nothing inside!)-  
-Bring me to life!-_

To be continued...

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Author's notes:

Wow, it's a nice feeling to know there are people out there that really want me to update. This one's for you.


	36. D11B: Asche zu Asche

--- Disturbance, Book 2: Divergence ---

Chapter D11-B - Asche zu Asche [Ashes to Ashes

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

Additional Note: The song for this chapter is entirely in German, so, like the title above, I've put the English translation of the lyrics after, e.g. /blah.

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_-Warmer Körper (Warmer Körper) /Warm body (Warm body)-  
-heißes Kreuz (heißes Kreuz) /hot cross (hot cross)-  
-falsches Urteil (falsches Urteil) /wrong judgment (wrong judgment)-  
-kaltes Grab (kaltes Grab) /cold grave (cold grave)-_

There was a tense silence across the Planet of the Kais, as the sole three occupants of said planet stared in shock at the crystal ball between them. Finally, after almost a minute of quiet, Gohan collapsed backwards onto the grass in a sitting position, commenting, "Wow. He annihilated him."

Shin shook his head slowly. "I'm afraid not Gohan."

"What?" The teen exclaimed in shock. "Supreme Kai, did you not _see_ the size of that blast; hell, you could _feel_ it from here! If he had have aimed any lower, he would have sheered the planet clear in half with energy to spare! Are you telling me that an attack of _that_ magnitude couldn't destroy Buu?"

With a grimace, the Kai replied, "With Majin Buu, 'destroy' is a relative term."

Gohan crossed his legs into Indian position. "Explain."

With a sigh, Shin likewise crossed his legs, stating, "To explain this, I'll need to speak metaphysically, and this explanation is gleaned from the collective knowledge of eons of researchers." When Gohan nodded, he began, "Now, you surely know that there are three different kinds of basic energy, but what you may not know is that each one has an aspect of the trinity of life it goes with; simply put, chi is the energy of the body, psi is the energy of the mind, and ki is the energy of the soul."

"Wait a minute; ki is the energy of the _soul_?" Gohan asked in confusion. "Then how come when we train our bodies, our ki level rises? Are you saying we're strengthening our very soul too?"

Shin shook his head. "The strength of your soul does not determine the power level you can reach. The soul provides the well from which all ki is drawn, and it is the body that determines how much of that well can be accessed at one time. However, in some circumstances the mind can overrule the body on this matter and draw more in, either through the use of a power-up technique, or through sheer force of will; doing this almost always results in damage to the body, from over-channelling."

Gohan nodded in understanding, "Like dad's Kaioken technique."

"Exactly," Shin agreed, "The Kaioken, or Kai Fist, technique was developed by the lower Kais as a whole for situations where they needed more power than they had, and occasionally this technique is taught by the lower Kais to their students. Each Kai, however, had their own spin on it, and sometimes gave it different names, but the basis is the same throughout."

_-Auf dem Kreuze lieg ich jetzt /I now lie on the cross-  
-sie schlagen mir die Nägel ein /they hammer nails into me-_

"How does this relate back to Majin Buu?"

With a sigh, Shin explained, "In the simplest terms possible, Majin Buu has neither soul, mind, or body."

"What?" Gohan exclaimed. "That's impossible! Without any of them he couldn't exist."

"In the strictest sense of the term, he doesn't." The Supreme Kai replied calmly. "His 'body' is a construct, shaped and held together purely by dark magic. As such, it has no real chi to give it strength, but in the same vein, it has no real limits on the power it can output. The only thing that limits Majin Buu's energy is the very magic that gives him form; Bibidi set limits on Majin Buu so that he could control him, but as evidenced by this 'Super Buu', there are ways around those."

Kibito picked up where the Kai left off, "His 'mind', if one could call it that, is pure instinct; he has no real intellect or consciousness to speak of."

"Then how can he talk, and disobey, and all the other actions I've seen him do that betray some spark of consciousness?" Gohan asked curiously.

With a grimace, Kibito continued, "He was not meant to. Every time Majin Buu consumes someone, he takes a part of them into himself. Now, these 'parts' are usually only small, just enough to increase his artificial consciousness. However, he received two massive boosts in his development."

"As I have stated before, there were originally five Supreme Kais," Shin explained. "I am the last survivor, but not all of them were killed. Two of these Kais were absorbed: the South Supreme Kai, which granted Majin Buu a massively muscled form similar to his current form, only larger; and the Grand Supreme Kai, which yielded the form you first witnessed. It is from these Kais that the bulk of Majin Buu's 'consciousness' came from."

Gohan nodded. "Alright, I understand that, but if he has an artificial mind and body, does that mean he has an artificial soul as well? I mean, I've already sensed his well of power, so there must be something right?"

"You are both right and wrong in your assumption Gohan," Shin replied. "Majin Buu does not have a soul, not even an artificial one, because Bibidi realised that giving his creation a soul would make it too mortal; a being with a soul, even an artificial one, can die and be forced to the other side. In the strictest sense of the word, Majin Buu can not be 'killed', as he has no soul."

"Then what _does_ he have?"

_-das Feuer wäscht die Seele rein /the fire purifies the soul-  
-und übrig bleibt ein Mundvoll /and what remains is a mouthful of-  
-Asche /ashes-_

"Evil," Shin commented gravely. "In place of Majin Buu's soul, Bibidi, through means unknown, tapped into the very well of evil itself, and because of this, there are _no_ real limits to the well of ki he possesses. The only limit on his power is what his 'body' can handle, and as you yourself has witnessed, he has started to 'evolve' past that limit as well."

"Then how can _I_ defeat him?" Gohan asked with as much fear as his warrior nature would allow. "If Majin Buu exists so long as evil exists, how can he be stopped for good?"

Kibito explained, "There is but one thing that can defeat evil: good. You are pure of heart, and while you can not destroy 'evil' itself, with enough strength you can sever the tie to it, thus destroying Majin Buu forever."

With a grim expression, Shin continued, "Your friend Kaen was _not_ pure of heart; this was proven when Babidi's magicks possessed him. His efforts have, however, bought us precious time; it will take Majin Buu no less than a day to regenerate, two if we are lucky."

"I guess that's my cue to get back to work," Gohan commented, hauling himself to his feet. As he grasped the hilt of the Z Sword, still implanted into the ground where he'd left it, a thought suddenly occurred to him. With a slight grin, Gohan asked, "So you're telling me that Kaen didn't win because he wasn't _'good'_ enough?"

The absurdity of the situation seemed equally humorous to the Supreme Kai, who grinned back. "Precisely."

_-Ich komm wieder (Ich komm wieder) /I will return (I will return)-  
-in zehn Tagen (Ich komm wieder) /in ten days (I will return)-  
-als dein Schatten (Ich komm wieder) /as your shadow (I will return)-  
-und werd dich jagen (Ich komm wieder) /and I will hunt you (I will return)-_

He opened his eyes slowly, turning full circle to take in the scenery around him. The sky was made up of, or at least covered by, thick stormy yellow-orange clouds, the landscape was constructed of purple-grey rock, interspersed with jagged mountains and spires, and what lakes there were around seemed to be filled with blood, or at the very least, a red liquid of some kind.

"So, this is Hell then," he mused to himself, nodding. "This'll work."

There was a yell as another denizen of Hell launched himself at him from behind. Instinctively he held out his hand, a brief flare of fire and light preceding the appearance of a wicked-edged sword in his hand, which he promptly swung at the attacker, slicing him neatly in half. As the bisected body struck the turf, he was startled to realise he recognised the attacker, or at least his type; he was one of Frieza's minions from way back when, a lesser Aisu.

Nodding again, he corrected himself. "This'll work nicely."

A series of war cries rang out, and he realised that he was surrounded by Aisu, in varying transformations. Noticing a niggle at the back of his senses he began focusing his power, gaping to himself as it didn't stop where it expected it to; by the time his power capped out, it was no less than a hundred times higher than he expected it to be.

As the surrounding Aisu launched themselves at him a sadistic smirk came to his face, and he was forced to correct himself once again, a deep, resounding cackle building up in this throat. "This'll work _perfectly_!"

_-Heimlich werd ich auferstehen /Secretly I will rise from the dead-  
-und du wirst um Gnade flehen /and you will plead for mercy-_

"Lord Kai!" Kibito exclaimed, racing towards where Shin stood observing Gohan's training, "I have received news from the Grand Kai of a disturbance in Hell, and none of the warriors he has are strong enough to deal with it."

"We hardly have time to deal with such things Kibito," Shin admonished, "King Yemma-"

"Has no record of him," Kibito cut in. "He did not pass through the Celestial Palace; he merely _appeared_ in Hell, and started causing trouble."

Sighing, Shin asked, "And why is this our concern? We have to prepare Gohan to face Majin Buu."

"Exactly," Kibito replied. Seeing he now had the Kai's full attention, he explained, "Reports state that this man is a fairly accomplished swordsman, and is close in power to Majin Buu, thus-"

"If Gohan can defeat him, he will be one step closer to defeating Majin Buu," Shin finished, his voice sounding more excited. When Kibito nodded, a smile on his face, Shin added, "Make it so Kibito."

"Preparations have already been carried out," Kibito replied, a pleased smile on his face. "A guide will be awaiting our arrival; all that remains is to prepare and transport Gohan."

Shin smiled wanly. "Overstepping your boundaries Kibito?"

The red giant bowed. "Merely preventing unnecessary delays." Straightening up, Kibito walked over to Gohan, a hand raised to stop him.

_-dann knie ich mich in dein Gesicht /then I will kneel in your face-  
-und steck den Finger in die /and stick my finger in the-_

Sinking the tip of the sword into the ground, Gohan wiped his brow, asking, "Something I can help you with Kibito?"

The man in question smiled. "As a matter of fact, yes. There is a swordsman causing a disturbance down in Hell, and you are the only person with the strength to stop him."

"So now I'm your errand boy huh?" Gohan replied sarcastically, before grinning. "You're lucky it sounds like fun, otherwise I might have had to hurt you."

Shrugging off the threat, Kibito raised his hands, stating, "You will need new clothes for this task. Do you have any preferences?"

Gohan nodded, "Like what I wore to the tournament."

Kibito nodded, focusing his energy before replacing Gohan's current attire with the chosen garments, plus one extra: the scabbard of a sword. At Gohan's questioning glance, he supplied, "That scabbard has been enchanted such that it can hold the Z Sword." When Gohan nodded his acceptance, and sheathed the Z Sword to test this theory, Kibito laid a hand on his shoulder. "Come then, you have much to do." With a flash of light, they vanished from the Planet of the Kais.

_-Asche /ashes-  
-Asche /ashes-  
-Asche /ashes-  
-Asche /ashes-_

A short burst of light heralded their arrival in Hell. Looking around, Gohan gave a low whistle, commenting, "Impressive. Nice decor. So, where is this disturbance? There's too much ambient ki around here for me to get a lock on anything."

"Do not worry, your guide should be here soon enough," Kibito replied.

As if his voice summoned him, a figure landed nearby, strolling up to them. He was obviously Saiyan, as the brown tail lazing behind him attested, with almost tri-point hair; he had a central point straight up, and a point on either side of that on an angle, almost like big ears. Giving them an exaggerated bow, he stated, "Welcome to sunny Hell. I will be your tour guide today. Please keep all arms, legs, swords, and ki blasts inside the ride at all times, and your seats in the upright and locked position."

Gohan grinned at the man's antics, while Kibito just scowled out, "You're late."

The Saiyan just brushed some phantom dirt off his combat suit, replying, "What can I say? Traffic was hell."

With another scowl Kibito teleported out, leaving Gohan to introduce himself. Holding his hand out, he stated, "Name's Gohan, but some know me as Cellotto."

The man's face broke into a grin as he shook the teen's hand. "Ah, Cellotto. We've heard all about you from the latest Vegeta to arrive; the fifty-fifth, I believe. People call me Korin. I'll give you the grand tour later, introduce you to a couple of the others, but right now I believe you've got a job to do."

With a mock bow, Gohan replied. "Lead the way then Korin." Idly, he thought he should know some deeper significance to the Saiyan's name, but it didn't come to him.

The two took to the sky, Korin striking up a conversation on the way. "This guy turned up not too long ago. Now, I haven't seen him myself, but 'Boukin told me where he was. We would've gotten Vegeta to take care of him, but he's disappeared; last I heard he was looking for Frieza over by Crystal Lake, so I don't particularly want to be the one to disturb him."

Gohan couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, that sounds like Vegeta. He'd be having the time of his life here; well, time of his death anyway." The rest of the fight passed with pleasant conversation, a striking difference to the fierce combat Gohan could see going on below, and again Gohan was struck by a sense of deja vu about his guide.

_-Asche zu Asche /Ashes to ashes-  
-Asche zu Asche /Ashes to ashes-  
-Asche zu Asche /Ashes to ashes-  
-und Staub zu Staub /and dust to dust-_

As they passed over one of the mountain ranges, Korin pointed down into the valley, where a golden figure could be seen laying waste to many a denizen of Hell. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you looked at it, people who had been banished to Hell couldn't die, so to prevent them spending an eternity in pain after getting the crap kicked through them they would be healed again after between thirty minutes and an hour; just because they didn't want to be cruel and leave people hurt for eternity didn't mean they didn't want them to hurt.

"That'd be him," Korin commented, as though it weren't obvious. As they landed, the older Saiyan asked, "So what's the deal? What are you here for?"

"To kill him," Gohan replied simply.

Korin gave him a raised eyebrow. "That'll be tough. People here can't die."

Gohan gave him a confident smirk. "He wasn't judged. He can die." The Demi-Saiyan teen's confidence fell, as he took full stock of his would-be opponent's appearance, including waist-length golden hair, and noticed just what was in the fighter's hand. Walking up to him slowly, he asked tentatively, "Kaen? Is that you?"

Korin's mouth dropped at Gohan's question, and his shock increased when the fighter turned around, replying, "Well, that's not a voice I expected to hear in this place." Noticing the second man, his hairless eyebrows rose. "Korin? Well, can't say I expected to see you either bro."

Gohan turned to stare at Korin, a curious expression on his face, but Korin just glared at the golden fighter, stating firmly, "You're _not_ my little brother. You may have his face, but you're not him. Who are you?"

The fighter shrugged. "If you're not gonna play along, I might as well tell you. I'm Phoenix."

_-Heimlich werd ich auferstehen /Secretly I will rise from the dead-  
-und du wirst um Gnade flehen /and you will plead for mercy-_

"Phoenix?" Gohan questioned, "The same Phoenix Babidi was controlling?"

"He was never controlling me," Phoenix shot back acidly, "He just helped me gain control over Kaen's body."

"Then how'd you wind up here?" the teen asked.

Phoenix shrugged, "Got booted out, and had to go somewhere; I've got my own soul after all, so I can't just cease to exist." Face hardening, he added, "Now what are you here for? Judging by the lack of halo, you're still alive."

Gohan just shrugged, replying in a bored tone as he drew the Z Sword, "Oh, I'm just here to kill you."

Phoenix smirked sadistically again, raising his weapon again as he phased out, reappearing on a cliff to Gohan's right. "You are welcome to try little boy, but I have more power than even I can imagine, and once I find a way out of here I plan on making good use of it."

"Over my dead body!" Gohan shot back.

Phoenix spluttered, "That's exactly the-" He cut off quickly, dropping into his stance and commenting, "Oh no, I'm not falling for _that_ one again." Grinning, he added, "You might want to clear off _'brother'_, unless you want to join in."

_-dann knie ich mich in dein Gesicht /then I will kneel in your face-  
-und steck den Finger in die /and stick my finger in the-_

The two fighters stared each other down, Phoenix having the high ground, as the tension began building. Finally, Phoenix's patience wore out, just like Gohan knew it would, the deceased pyromancer growling, "I thought you were here to fight." Charging energy in his off hand, he fired a quick flurry of blasts with a shout of, "FIGHT ME!"

This was exactly the opportunity Gohan was looking for. Leaping forward, his sword trailing behind him, Gohan flew between the series of blasts, soaring into the air above him, and Phoenix leapt up after him. The two engaged in a brief midair scuffle, before Gohan swung his sword like a baseball bat, sending Phoenix flying. Landing on his feet and sliding back a bit, the dead Saiyan charged forward again and the two traded blades, the older fighter proving lighter on his feet, probably due to the sheer weight of the Z Sword.

Growling, Gohan swung the weighty sword at his opponent, but Phoenix just leaped backwards, spinning in the air as he leapt from one higher ledge to the plateau above. Scowling, Gohan jumped after him, making it to the top in a single bound and swinging the heavy sword, slamming it down in the cliff surface hard enough to crack the crystal-like rock. Phoenix, however, merely sidestepped before running up the length of the blade and leaping into a downward slash.

Ducking under the blow, Gohan swung with an overhanded spinning strike, which Phoenix in turn ducked under, before the two locked blades. The two pushed against each other for a moment until the sheer weight of Gohan's blade won him the tussle, and Phoenix leapt backwards, Gohan in hot pursuit.

_-Asche zu Asche /Ashes to ashes-  
-Asche zu Asche /Ashes to ashes-  
-Asche zu Asche /Ashes to ashes-  
-und Staub zu Staub /and dust to dust-_

The two continued to trade blows as Gohan pushed Phoenix up the mountain range, the quicker fighter dodging or blocking all of Gohan's attacks, but being driven backwards regardless. Finally Phoenix seemed to grow tired of running, locking Gohan's sword in one of the notches of his and spinning the sword around, disarming the Demi-Saiyan and launching the Z Sword into the valley from whence they came.

"You really don't know how to use that thing do you?" Phoenix taunted, before hurling his own sword to the side and commenting, "I guess I better even the odds again hadn't I? After all, I wouldn't want to kill you before I'd had a chance to test my strength." After flexing his shoulders, the two fighters began staring each other down, each waiting for the other to make the first move.

In the end, like always, it was Phoenix who broke rank, throwing his arms forward and firing a blast. Gohan dove to the side, raising both hands and firing a series of blasts back, but Phoenix raced ahead of them, leaping off a large rock and reversing his direction, before lobbing a pale blue energy ball at him that impacted the ground at his feet, freezing him in place.

Landing into a slide, Phoenix fired another powerful red blast at the teen, but at the last second Gohan flung a hand forward and cut the blast in half. Focusing his energy, Gohan struggled to free himself, but before he could so much as crack the ice Phoenix had broken into a sprint towards him, going into red shift. Snatching him out of the ice, Phoenix proceeded to use Gohan as a battering ram to carve a tunnel through the cliff wall, carving a U-shaped tunnel through the rock before breaking out again and using the momentum to hurl Gohan into the valley, leaping off after him.

_-Asche zu Asche /Ashes to ashes-  
-Asche zu Asche /Ashes to ashes-  
-Asche zu Asche /Ashes to ashes-  
-und Staub zu Staub /and dust to dust-_

"Come on Frieza!" Vegeta shouted, driving his knee into the albino once-dictator's chest. "Surely you have more fight left in you!"

Before the Aisu could respond, Vegeta's sensitive hearing picked up an approaching whistling noise, before Frieza was speared through the back, pinning him to the ground. Taking a closer look at the projectile, the Saiyan Prince saw a very familiar looking sword.

Vegeta grinned to himself, yanking the weapon out of the downed Aisu's back. "Well well, looks like Kaen wound him here himself. I should really go say 'hi', maybe share a few drinks." Turning back to Frieza, Vegeta gave him one final boot to the stomach, commenting, "You better still be here when I get back," before blasting off in the direction the sword had come from.

"Where are you going my Prince?" a gravely voice asked as Vegeta started to fly past.

Halting in midair, Vegeta turned to the speaker, seeing a very familiar mop of hair on an unfamiliar face. Grinning, he commented to himself, "I don't think I'm ever going to grow tired of hearing that..." before replying, "I'm off to greet my ambassador. Care to join me?"

The other Saiyan nodded, crossed one arm across his chest, and gave a stiff bow of his torso. "By your will your Highness." With a flare of energy the two Saiyans sped off towards the mountain range.

_-Asche zu Asche /Ashes to ashes-  
-Asche zu Asche /Ashes to ashes-  
-Asche zu Asche /Ashes to ashes-  
-und Staub zu Staub /and dust to dust-_

Gohan and Phoenix each charged energy in their right hands, racing towards each other firing random blasts that wound up overshooting their target. Simultaneously leaping into the air, they each used their left hand to grab their opponent's right wrist, and each struggled to aim their right hand at their opponent's head; both were successful in the former, and unsuccessful in the latter.

As soon as the pair hit the ground Phoenix rolled away, pumping the rest of the energy in his hand into the ground as he did, before the newly righted Gohan sent him flying with a two-fisted swing. Unfortunately, that meant he stood on Phoenix's ki mine, the series of concussive explosions juggling him for a moment. That moment turned out to be long enough for the free-flying Phoenix to create a whip of dark ki, lash it to a nearby spire, and slingshot around it to come flying back at Gohan, slamming into him with a side kick just as the shock from the blasts wore off.

Landing into a commando roll, Phoenix quickly spun back to his feet, reforming the ki lash and whipping it out to catch Gohan's leg. Dragging down to slam the teen into the ground, he then proceeded to whip him around in a circle, first bouncing him off a low ledge, before dragging him face-first through the side of a mountain. Finally, he dragged him back towards himself, and moments before he hit Phoenix spun around him, kicking the newly released Demi-Saiyan in the back and sending him sailing uncontrollably across the valley.

Smirking, Phoenix shouted, "You'll never defeat me boy! And even if you _could_, you'd wind up killing your friend as well."

_-Asche zu Asche /Ashes to ashes-  
-Asche zu Asche /Ashes to ashes-  
-Asche zu Asche /Ashes to ashes-  
-und Staub zu Staub /and dust to dust-_

"What the hell is going on here?" A new voice shouted.

Turning to face the speaker, Phoenix asked in a confused voice, "Vegeta?" This was all the distraction Gohan needed. As luck would have it, he'd landed right near where the Z Sword had dug itself in. Snatching it out of the ground Gohan raced forward, observing with mild shock that Phoenix was screaming almost as if in pain, holding his head as a shadowy spectre appeared slightly off centre of him.

Gohan paid it no mind, intent on ending this fight right now. He noticed, mere moments before he struck, that whatever war was being waged in Phoenix's head solved itself quickly enough, but he was still shocked when the deceased fighter let out a shocked yelp and ducked the strike. Jumping back out of strike range, he held his hands up passively, commenting, "It's nice to see you too Gohan, but would you let me talk before trying to cut my head off?"

"What's going on?"

"Korin?" He turned to face the speaker, a big grin breaking out over his face as he exclaimed, "Big brother! Wow, you look good for your age; what are you doing here?"

Korin gave him an odd look. "I'm dead, and I live here. What's your excuse little brother?"

Kaen just shrugged, "Just thought I'd drop in and give young Gohan here a word of advice 'fore he killed me."

"Kaen? Is that you?" Vegeta asked, wondering just what in the blue hell was going on.

Kaen grinned. "In the flesh, so to speak." Turning to his Demi-Saiyan friend, Kaen stated, "Listen Gohan: what Phoenix just said is true. If you kill him, I'll die as well; he and I are still linked."

"Where _are_ you?" Gohan asked.

_-zu Staub /to dust-  
-zu Staub /to dust-  
-zu Staub /to dust-  
-zu Staub /to dust-_

"Regen tank," Kaen replied disinterestedly, "That's why Phoenix isn't getting any weaker; he's draining my energy as the tank returns it to me. He has a piece of my soul, and as long as he does he'll be able to keep tapping into my ki. If Phoenix dies, my soul will be thrown into Oblivion, so if you want to defeat him without killing me, you need to find that link and sever it."

"And how am I going to sever a link to your _soul_?"

Kaen just gave Gohan a raised eyebrow. "You are in the land of the dead, and Phoenix has no body. I'm sure you can figure it out." Suddenly clutching at his head, he groaned, "And do it fast!" Before Gohan could react the ghostly shadow around him disappeared, and looking into his eyes, Gohan could tell that he was Phoenix once again. Cracking his neck to either side, Phoenix commented, "Sorry about that little distraction."

"Oh it's really no problem," Gohan replied conversationally, "After all, it _did_ help me discover how to kill you." Gohan grinned. "I know your weakness. I can see it wavering behind you."

"My tail?" Phoenix remarked dryly. "Come now, _surely_ you don't think a First Class Saiyan like myself wouldn't be past that by now?"

Gohan's grin just widened. "It's not _that_ tail I'm talking about." Gohan's sharp eyes could spot the ghostly second tail wavering behind him, looking much like a localised version of how he looked when Kaen had possessed him; or when Phoenix had possessed Kaen earlier today, and it was this second tail that was the physical manifestation of Phoenix's link with Kaen.

Scowling, Phoenix held his hand out for the sword Vegeta held, declaring, "I'll take that," as the sword disappeared in a shower of light, reappearing in Phoenix's hand. Spinning the weapon around a few times as he dropped into stance, Phoenix growled, "Your discovery will avail you not; I'll destroy you before you get the chance to use it!"

_-zu Staub /to dust-  
-zu Staub /to dust-  
-zu Staub /to dust-  
-zu Staub /to dust-_

As Gohan dropped into his stance Phoenix leapt into the air, spinning around in a helicopter manoeuvre. By the time Gohan realised that he had deliberately leapt to the side, however, Phoenix had already landed in a slide and fired a powerful energy blast his way. Quickly raising his sword, Gohan was pleased to discover the weighty blade made a good impromptu shield, but as he was still reeling from the blast Phoenix raced forward, weaving through the air in an attempt to throw him off, before lashing out; fortunately, Gohan's luck held, and he managed to parry the attack.

Rolling back to his feet Phoenix went on the attack again, unleashing a swift series of blows that forced Gohan onto the back foot, unable to make an attack of his own. Knocking Gohan's sword upwards, Phoenix leapt up and kicked him in the chest three times in quick succession, before flying into another helicopter upon landing, this time striking at a slight angle. He finished the spin by jumping over Gohan, dropping into a leg sweep, and juggling the teen before sending him skyward with a burst of ki through his feet.

Spinning upright again Phoenix threw himself backwards into a trifecta of back flips, before launching himself at Gohan again, satisfied with the angle he'd achieved. Attacking at high speeds, Gohan was again forced on the defence, the strikes raining in too quickly for him to slip through, before up upward strike sent him off balance, giving Phoenix the opening he needed to flip past him and fire a blast at Gohan's back, sending him crashing to the grey rock below.

_-zu Staub /to dust-  
-zu Staub /to dust-  
-zu Staub /to dust-  
-zu Staub /to dust-_

"DIE!" Phoenix screamed, swooping in for the killing strike. Picking himself back up Gohan stood his ground, waiting until the last possible second before, with a burst of ki, he flipped backwards on the spot, diving cleanly over Phoenix, and severing both of his tails in the same motion. Howling in pain Phoenix crash landed, the brown tail wriggling a bit from the cut nerves, but the ghostly tail shattered like glass upon impact.

Landing on his feet, Gohan quickly spun around on the spot, but as Phoenix climbed back to his feet, his hair fast receding as his powers left him, Gohan released the sword as though he were competing in the hammer throw, and the blade plunged into, and through, Phoenix's torso. Falling to his knees, Phoenix spared one last glance at Korin, before eroding like a sand castle under high winds, leaving the Z Sword to clatter noisily to the ground.

As Gohan picked the heavy weapon up off the ground, Korin asked him, "Do you think Kaen survived?"

The sound of applause drew their attention. Upon seeing just who was clapping, Gohan felt a grin come to his face. "I think that's a fairly safe bet."

_-zu Staub /to dust-  
-zu Staub /to dust-  
-zu Staub /to dust-  
-zu Staub /to dust-  
-ja /yes-_

To be continued...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's notes:

Hmm... Song seems to lose something when translated from audio into written form... Ah well, can't be helped.


	37. D12: Remember

--- Disturbance, Book 2: Divergence ---

Chapter D12 - Remember

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_-Sensation washes over me, I can't describe it-  
-Pain I felt so long ago, I don't remember-_

As Kaen strode purposefully onto the bridge of the Icebreaker, a tense silence fell over the extended family within. Most were surprised to see him up and about so quickly after what happened. However, it was the look on his face, torn between vengeful and furious, that froze their jaws; well, all bar one. Gathering her nerve, Kat asked, "Kaen? Are you all right?"

He didn't respond, however, walking in a straight line towards Kellre. It became obvious that no, he was _not_ all right when, in his straight-line path, he actually walked _through_ a computer console. His stare never having left the older man from the moment he came into the room, Kaen stopped walking about a foot away from him, declaring in a tone that brokered no argument, "Alright old man, I need some answers."

Kellre nodded, having expected this from the moment Pi brought him on board, if not before that. "Very well then," he replied, "Come, let's talk." He started walking off towards the training room, and while he couldn't hear the younger man's footsteps, as technically he didn't _have_ any, he didn't need his ki sense to know he'd be following close behind all the way.

As the two walked away, Truniz commented, "If the runt's acting like this, I better go check on Pi," before walking out to make sure his niece was all right.

_-Tear a hole so I can see my devastation-  
-Feelings from so long ago, I don't remember-_

No sooner had the reinforced steel bulkhead sealed in place than Kaen's tail began lashing about, as he growled, "Okay, spill it; what the hell did you do to her?"

"What do you mean?" Kellre, as if to spite his younger associate, remained calm and collected.

Kaen scrubbed a hand through his hair; in his astral form, he could affect himself as normal. "Pi isn't herself any more! She's changed; you must have done something!"

"Calm down."

A flaming red aura burst into life around him. "Don't fucking tell me to calm down!"

"Calm down boy, or I will make you regret it, physical form or no." Despite the dangerous and unstable look in Kaen's eyes, Kellre still remained calm.

Kaen twitched, and for a moment Kellre thought he'd have to make good on his threat, but instead Kaen took a few deep breaths, the aura fading out again, as he forced himself to calm down again. It was times like this that Kaen's elemental alignment was never more obvious, but the true question was, would he still have been this hot-headed otherwise, and, if so, is _that_ why he was aligned as such. "Fine," the younger Saiyan said finally, "I'm calm now."

Nodding, Kellre started to explain, "Pi is the same girl she always was."

"Bullshit!" Kaen barked, "She told me herself that she wasn't!"

_-Holding on, to let them know-  
-What's given to me, given to me-_

"Not true," Kellre countered, "She told you that what you believed about her was wrong, but in the end, that belief doesn't fundamentally change who she is, just how you perceive her."

"Stop talking in riddles!" Kaen growled, holding a hand to his forehead, "This shit's giving me a headache already, and you've barely started."

Kellre cracked a grin. "Sit down Kapskaen, this will be a long story."

"Sit down?" Kaen replied, cocking one eyebrow, "I have no physical form. My state of being is relative." As if to prove his point, he crossed his legs. In midair.

Ignoring the younger man's antics, Kellre began his lecture. "As you know, Saiyans are a primal race. Our animal rage is on a barely tethered leash." He paused. "Some more so than others." This was a clear dig at Kaen's hair-trigger. "We brought about the destruction of the Tuffles, and countless other worlds on a whim, for nothing more than a few trinkets of knowledge; space travel, and the like. And over time we became sophisticated; or, at least, that's what we tell ourselves."

Kaen raised an eyebrow in confusing, still floating in the air. "What the hell are you talking about?"

_-To hide behind the mask this time-  
-And try to believe-_

"In truth," Kellre continued, "The Saiyan race stopped evolving a long time ago, reaching our evolutionary dead end, so to speak. But instead of our bloodline souring, and our race beginning to diminish, we remained strong, but in the end, all Saiyans were primal, more animal than not. Make no mistake, Saiyans are smart, and we learnt to change ourselves. Some time after the extinction of the Tuffles, and after the Golden Oozaru destroyed itself and planet Saiya, we realised somehow that our primal force would destroy us as certainly as evolutionary impotence would kill other races, so we began to change; if we couldn't evolve at the collective level, we would evolve at the individual level. Saiyans began to dance a masquerade of society, drawing on what we had learnt from other successful societies."

"So the Saiyan race are still animals?" Kaen paraphrased.

Kellre waved his hand absently. "Something like that. When you were taught the basic necessities of life, you were told that Saiyans feel things in extremes; that our blood howls for freedom of self, but such a thing would kill us. That is why, at the same time, we are taught that such things are dangerous, and that is why we Saiyans wear masks, to hide ourselves from our true self."

"We're lying to ourselves?" Kaen questioned sceptically. "We're a proud warrior race; we aren't monsters."

"Are you sure?" Kellre replied cryptically. "Does not the light of the moon turn us into nigh-uncontrollable beasts? Do we not lust for conflict? Some say the Oozaru form is our true self, and the human face we show others our true masquerade. That is what our masks hide Kaen, the beast behind the face. Some masks can be as complicated as a woven tapestry," there was little doubt he was referring to Pi, "While some are the barest veils of our true selves, like... Vegeta." The pause indicated Kaen was clearly included in the latter group.

"You act as though we were demons hiding in human skin," Kaen commented.

"Perhaps we are, in some way," Kellre replied wistfully.

_-Blind your eyes to what you see, you can't embrace it-  
-Leave it well enough alone and don't remember-_

"What do you think they're talking about?" Kat asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had fallen over those assembled.

The adults shared a quick glance, before April replied, "Kat, why don't you go see how Pi's holding up?"

The young redhead understood the hidden implications behind that statement; they knew exactly what Kaen and Kellre were talking about, but weren't going to discuss it while she was around to hear it. Rather than calling them up on it, however, she rationalized it that technically, they weren't _her_ family, and if it really concerned her, they'd tell her. This in mind, she nodded, chirping, "Okay then," and walking off without an argument.

When they were sure the coast was clear, April took a moment to glance at both Raene and Avarrdo, before asking, "How much do you think he'll tell Kaen?"

"As much as he needs to, and as little as he can," Raene replied, proving to have quite a knack for her mate's trademark double-speak.

"And if that is too much?" The worried mother added.

Avarrdo shrugged, "With his power, there's not all that much we can do either way. If it does prove too much, one way or another, it will soon cease to be our problem."

_-Cut your pride and watch it bleed, you can't deny it-  
-Pain you know you can't ignore, I don't remember-_

Taking a breath, Kellre continued, "What you saw today was perhaps the closest reflection of Pi's true self. Tell me, when she revealed to you the depths of her devotion, that she was only for you, and that she would be forever with you, what did you feel?"

"Anger," Kaen spat instantly, before adding more slowly, "And... revulsion."

The anger needed no explaining; Kellre would have been surprised if Kaen _didn't_ feel angry. Smiling slightly, Kellre questioned, "Revulsion, because it aroused you so, did it not? Her pure and utter dedication to you, until the end of your days."

Kaen's voice was hoarse as he whispered, "...Yes."

"And she means it," Kellre continued on, as if he fully expected Kaen's answer and didn't judge him for it, "She will never abandon you. She will always be there, by your side, to push you ever forward in your quest to be stronger."

"Which brings things back to my original question," Kaen interjected, his voice regaining much of it's heat, "That you did this to her... to us!"

The older man shook his head, asking, "Does it matter?"

Kaen felt the fire returning to his blood. "Of course it does!"

"Why?" Kellre probed, "Do you believe she doesn't love you?"

_-Holding on, to let them know-  
-What's given to me, given to me-_

"No," Kaen replied immediately, "I have no doubts that she loves me; she's proven that well enough. No, what I'm starting to have doubts about is whether her love for me is natural, or whether it was manufactured by a manipulative outside force."

"You believe I brain-washed her into loving you?" Kellre questioned, a touch of incredulity creeping into his voice. "I'm flattered that you think I could, but horrified that you think I _would_. This is my daughter we're talking about, never forget that."

"Don't try the moral high-ground with me," Kaen barked, "I know your type well enough."

"That may be true," Kellre countered, "But that doesn't change the simple fact that you are lying to yourself Kapskaen, and you know it. You know exactly why she is the way she is, and why she feels the way she does; you've seen the proof before you a dozen times over.

Kaen shook his head vigorously, as if trying to shake a memory loose, or vehemently deny a statement. After taking a second to compose himself, he replied, "What... What do you mean?"

_-To hide behind the mask this time-  
-And try to believe-_

"Hey sis, how're you holding up?"

Pi smiled to herself, extracting herself from her uncle's embrace. Throughout her childhood her parents had always given her the comfort and support any child ever needed, but the benefit of having an uncle was getting spoiled rotten, and far be it from Truniz to stint his favourite niece on anything she ever wanted. Stretching her arms, she replied finally, "I'm fine, don't worry. I'm very relieved that Kaen's gonna be alright now."

"Speaking of Kaen, what's up with you and him anyway?" the young redhead asked. "I mean, he stormed onto the bridge with the veritable thundercloud over his head, demanding answers from Kellre. Did you two have a fight or something?"

"Or something," Pi replied, a wry grin on her face. "You know that big issue we had a while back about trust and secrets?" When Kat nodded, she continued, "Well, I've been keeping a secret from him that he just found out about."

"What was it about?" When Kat received no answer to this question, she put two and two together, realising that this would be the same thing the others didn't want her to hear. Seeing as how she wasn't going to get an answer from Pi either, she asked instead, "How big a secret are we talking here?"

_-If I can remember-  
-To know this will conquer me-_

"Life changing." Smiling helplessly, Pi added, "I don't even remember the depths of this particular secret myself; that's most likely why Kaen sought out my father."

"So how long have you had this secret?"

Pi shrugged, "So long I can't remember _not_ having it."

"Oh." It seemed this particular issue was _very_ serious. Wrapping an arm around her adopted sister's shoulders, Kat asked, "Are you sure you're gonna be alright?"

This time, Pi shook her head. "I'm... afraid," she replied reluctantly, "I'm afraid that once Kaen knows the truth, he'll hate me."

"He could never hate you; he loves you," Kat commented soothingly, "The bond you share with him proves that."

Pi just shook her head again. "Just because you _love_ someone, doesn't mean you _like_ them."

_-If I can just walk alone-  
-And try to escape into me-_

"As I said before," Kellre lectured, "Saiyans are beasts beneath the guise of civility. Perhaps the most intricate mask I have ever seen belongs to Kakarott."

"Kakarott?" Kaen parroted incredulously, "He lost his programming when he hit his head as a kid. He doesn't have a 'mask'; he's too stupid!"

"Is he?" Kellre asked seriously, "Name me a moment when he appeared so, and I will give you proof otherwise. Such as his loss to Pi in the tournament. No Saiyan, not even him, would turn his attention from a fight for the prospect of a meal; no, he did that to spite Vegeta. Their battles have always been about the Prince's pride, and Kakarott knows exactly how to do that, without other's knowing it."

"So he's an idiot savant then," Kaen shrugged.

"Maybe," Kellre yielded, before countering with, "Or maybe his mask is so intricately woven, that even _he_ can no longer truly tell where it begins, or where it ends." This statement was obviously given both to explain Goku's attitude, as well as to give a brief explanation about Pi.

Kaen shrugged again, "I think you're looking into this way too deep."

"Then let me explain," Kellre commented. "When he struck his head, his desire to fight was overridden by his need to survive. Once his survival had been assured, then he began to search for strength. To this end, he became 'Number One Under Heaven', proving himself the strongest, and once he had, he sought himself a powerful mate, to have strong children. Who on this backwater planet was strong enough to take that place?"

"Chichi..." Kaen replied slowly; as much as he hated to admit it, Goku's tale _was_ sounding very 'Saiyan'.

"Exactly," Kellre agreed. "Saiyans mate and produce other Saiyans, and Gohan is as much as Saiyan as any of us; his mask is just far more complex, because he was raised with a different set of values. A lion, regardless of whether it was born in a cage or born in the wild, is still a lion; he may be trained, and he may be tame, but he is still just as deadly."

_-(Sensation washes over me, I can't describe it)-  
-(Pain I felt so long ago, I don't remember)-_

"How do you think the talk's going?" April asked semi-rhetorically.

"Kellre's in control, for now," Raene replied.

"For now?"

"This _is_ our son we are talking about," Avarrdo explained. "He is, at the best of times, a little... unstable."

After another moment of silence, April commented quietly, "It's not a nice feeling, the thought that one of your children may want you dead."

Avarrdo sighed, drawing her into a hug. "No, it's not."

_-I'm just holding on, to let them know-  
-What's given to me, given to me-_

"Don't you see it yet boy?" Kellre asked. "We are animals, yes, but we are the most powerful animal in existence; we have just learnt to keep ourselves in check through necessity of survival."

"That's all well and good, but answer me this," Kaen demanded, "Did you to something to us? To Pi and I? You once told me you were charged with the task of finding out if the Super Saiyan legends were true; was this some kind of twisted experiment?" Before the older man could answer, Kaen went on, "It makes perfect sense; you and my father were clearly in on it together. Korin was obviously the first test, to see if a single Saiyan could attain ascension, but when that didn't work you tested what affect the lifemate bond had. Oran and Lime are clearly the third test, replacing the bond of lovers with the bond of siblings; it explains why they are so much like Pi and I, even when they grew up without us around."

"Are you done?" Kellre commented dryly. "Assuming for a minute that your conspiracy theory bears even a shred of truth, I ask you this: does it really matter?"

"Yes!" Kaen shouted, "I need to know my life belongs to me!"

Kellre grinned wryly, "So this was never about Pi, was it?"

Kaen flinched at his slip-up, before amending, "I never claimed this wasn't about myself as much as it was her."

The older Saiyan nodded his acceptance of this correction. "Your life does belong to you Kaen. Destiny is not a thing anyone can control, not even the Kaioshin. We are all simply witnesses to destiny, and in the end, you must try to find the happiness in your own life, regardless of the cost."

"And if the cost is too high?"

"Such as your pride?" When Kaen made no reply, Kellre placed a hand on his shoulder, quite a remarkable feat considering Kaen had no solid form, before adding, "Even if she was the one that chose you, and not you her, would that make you any less happy? Does that make those memories less meaningful?"

The flame-haired Saiyan sighed, replying almost imperceptibly, "No..."

_-To hide behind the mask this time-  
-And try to believe-_

Kellre nodded, satisfied that his point had gotten through, before noticing something about Kaen's posture, something he had to comment on, "You are still holding something back, aren't you?" When Kaen nodded, he prodded, "What is the problem?"

"I don't deserve her," Kaen muttered quietly.

That was quite possibly the last thing Kellre ever expected to hear come out of Kaen's mouth, and for the first time since this conversation began, he was truly surprised. Nevertheless, he remained calm as he asked, "Why do you say that Kaen?"

"I gave up on her," he replied, still in the same quiet, defeated tone. "As you yourself have said, Pi will never give up on me, but when I was almost killed during that mission, I gave up on her. I turned my back on her, and my family, and became Phoenix."

When Kaen fell silent, Kellre felt he had to keep this conversation going; if this was the first time Kaen was expressing these feelings, if he couldn't continue now, he probably never would. Smiling reassuringly, he said, "Go on."

_-If I can remember-  
-To know this will conquer me-_

Kaen sighed, before continuing, "For four years, I carried on my life, believing I was content to live without her, but in truth merely existing, surviving. Then she wormed her way back into my life, but by then, in a way it was already too late."

"What do you mean?" Fortunately, Kellre had enough psychoanalytical knowledge to play psychiatrist to the troubled Saiyan.

"When I suffered my breakdown," Kaen didn't question that Kellre already knew about that, either from talking to Pi, watching the security tapes, or just by way of being the all-seeing, all-knowing Kellre, "I told Pi that the boy she met back on Vegeta-Sei was dead, and I spoke the truth. I lost who I was the day I received my concussion-induced memory loss, and had rebuilt myself. When my psyche was shattered, I was forced to rebuild again." He smiled sadly, "But this time, I had an anchor."

"Pi." It was not a question; Kellre finally understood where Kaen was going with this.

He nodded. "When I rebuilt myself the second time, I did so using the, for lack of a better term, template of me that Pi had in her memories. For my entire life, she has been the most stable thing in my world; pun aside, she is my rock. In a very real sense, she is the keystone of my world." His voice grew a little weaker as he continued, "If all of that was a lie, if that keystone is removed... I'm... afraid of losing myself again, afraid that all I've built up will come crumbling down again..." He voice became hollow as he mentioned, "I don't want to be like him again..."

_-If I can just walk alone-  
-And try to escape into me-_

Placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder again, he forced the younger fighter to look him in the eye, saying, "Life is filled with uncertainty Kapskaen, you of all people know that. All I can tell you is that Pi is as Pi always was, and hope that together, the two of you will have the strength to get past this, but for the time being you are exhausted, mentally as well as physically. Rest Kaen, all will be clearer soon; for now, we must see if we can live for another day, before we can worry over what may happen then."

"I wish I could," Kaen commented, scrubbing a hand through his hair again, "But I've got to help Gohan save the universe."

"What do you mean?" Kellre asked, curious, "He's not dead?"

Kaen sighed; he felt like he'd been doing that entirely too much recently. "Apparently Shin decided to abduct him for some special training, and gave him a sword that supposedly will give him the power he needs to defeat Buu. However, young Gohan barely knows the pointy end of the sword from the blunt end unfortunately."

Kellre smiled, "Perhaps I can be of some assistance then. Where is he?"

"Hell," Kaen replied bluntly, "Kibito 'ported him there to deal with a recent... problem, that cropped up. So unless you've got a way to astral project, or teleport between dimensions, then..." He trailed off at the grin on the older Saiyan's face. "Of course you do," he muttered sourly, "You're the all-singing, all-dancing, wonder Saiyan Kellre." He sighed again. "In any case, I need to tell Pi that I'm going to be out for a bit."

"Very well," Kellre nodded, "How do you plan on travelling to Hell?"

"My sword," Kaen shrugged, "It's currently down there, and I can still sense it's unique energy signature, so I can follow that." Kellre didn't question just _why_ Kaen's sword was down in Hell, he simply accepted it, and thus, with their conversation over, Kaen calmly walked out of the training room to see his mate.

_-Into me-_

As he walked into the regeneration room, Kaen noticed that the group attending his tank had grown from one to three. Truniz was the first to notice his arrival, calmly getting up and walking towards him without the girls noticing, asking quietly as he passed, "You get the answers you needed runt?"

Kaen smiled wanly, "And the questions that came with them." As the girls looked up at him at the sound of his voice, Kaen asked, "Hey sis, can you give me and Pi a moment alone?"

She smiled up at him. She may not have understood the full situation, but she would lend her support where needed. "Sure bro, no prob."

When the two were alone, there was a moment of uncomfortable silence, before Pi started, "Kaen, are we..."

He smiled at her as reassuringly as he could, despite the doubts still lingering in his mind, replying, "I'm sure we're going to be fine. I just need a little while to wrap my head around everything, so I'm going to go get some advice from the one person I know will be brutally honest with me."

"Who?"

Kaen smiled, as he began fading out. "My brother."

_-Into me!-_

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Author's notes:

My beta has many theories about DBZ, and I should really make him write his own damn DBZ fic instead of feeding it through mine. In case it's not obvious, much of this chapter was one of them.


	38. D13: Boulevard Of Broken Dreams

--- Disturbance, Book 2: Divergence ---

Chapter D13 - Boulevard Of Broken Dreams

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-I walk a lonely road-  
-The only one that I have ever known-  
-Don't know where it goes-  
-But it's home to me and I walk alone-_

Kaen opened his eyes with a sigh, the translocation between the Icebreaker and Hell complete; the familiar violet crystal spires and yellow-clouded sky attested to that. He cast his eyes about quickly, trying to find his brother. The first thing he noticed is that Vegeta stood off to one side, his body slick with Aisu blood, with an amused smirk on his face; Kaen could tell it was Aisu blood by the distinct purple tint to it.

The second thing he noticed that Kellre was already beginning to run Gohan through some basic beginners lessons, and the demi-Saiyan teen was struggling to keep up with the older man's blistering pace; that most likely explained the look on Vegeta's face. Finally, he saw his brother off to the other side, sitting casually on a rock ledge nearby, a similarly amused look on his face, though his contained a touch of deja vu. After all, Kellre had put him through the ringer too in his younger days.

Taking a deep breath, and swallowing his pride, Kaen strode up to Korin's prone form, asking, "Korin, can we talk? I need some advice..."

"Sure thing little bro," Korin replied immediately, forcing his face into a supportive mask, while forcing down the look on incredulous shock that threatened to burst forth. His little brother was asking for help? It must be very serious, for no matter how much he had grown up, Korin knew he would never have lost that independent streak.

Kaen cast a nervous eye about, making sure no one else was in earshot, before taking another deep breath to calm his nerves and beginning. He told his brother about how he was afraid his entire relationship with Pi was staged. About how he was afraid his entire life was just one massive experiment. He told him his fears of Pi being changed, both before they met, while they were younger, and just recently.

As his ramblings started becoming more and more disjointed and incoherent, it became clear that things weren't right in his head. Somehow through his mutterings, Korin had managed to glean the basics about the Nijuushin/Phoenix thing, and it was clear that having acquired all those other memories, along with the added problem of having a second psyche for a month, had taken it's toll on his mental stability. Korin realised he had to straighten some things out, and fast, or his little brother would talk himself into a meltdown.

_-I walk this empty street-  
-On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams-  
-Where the city sleeps-  
-And I'm the only one and I walk alone-_

"Whoa, hold up little brother," Korin cut Kaen off suddenly, "You're rambling, and you're going in circles."

His momentum gone, Kaen more-or-less fell into a sitting position against the rocks, panting harshly as his body struggled to draw in much needed breathe. "I'm sorry..." He whispered out, "It's just... I feel like my head's going to explode..."

Kneeling down to his level, Korin placed a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "It's okay bro; I'm here." As his little brother's shudders ceased, he added, "Right, let's start getting that fog in your head cleared huh? You said you thought your relationship with Pi might've been staged, and/or that she was made to love you. I'm going to tell you, right now, that that's a load of crap."

"But-"

"No buts," Korin cut in firmly. "Even the strongest brainwashing techniques can't make a person love another person, we Saiyans especially. I mean, you and Pi are bonded. Do you really think that would have happened if she didn't truly love you? The absolute limit the most powerful brainwashing technique could achieve would be making a person have sex with another, but Saiyan instincts will not allow them to bond with someone who doesn't love them, not will they let someone bond with someone they don't love. That bond is proof she loves you, truly and completely."

Kaen nodded slowly; like his brother believed, he did know that, but with his mind in the turmoil is was in, he was questioning everything "Next," Korin continued, "We'll tackle your fear that your life's been just one big experiment. You've said you want your life to have meaning, but then turned around and said you want your life to be yours. Answer me this: What greater meaning could your life have than being a key component in the ascendancy of our race, even if it's not by your own will? And can you really say, even if your life was an experiment, that you didn't like the way things turned out?"

_-I walk alone-  
-I walk alone-_

A smile found it's way onto Kaen's face as, with these two keystone problems removed, the rest fell away like dominos. "You're way too much like dad, you know that?"

Korin smiled in turn, though his was more out of relief; he knew, with that barb, that Kaen was himself again. "Hey, let's not say things we can't take back."

Kaen laughed. "Right. My bad." Stifling his mirth, he had to ask, "How do you know so much about my life anyway?"

Korin shrugged. "I was watching over you."

"How? You died when I was five."

Korin looked at him funny. "But you're only four now; how could I have died when you were five?" Realisation dawned quickly. "Oh right, you're speaking in Galactic Standard years. Then I would've died when you were nineteen."

_-I walk alone-  
-I walk a...-_

Kaen gaped at his older brother. "How...?"

Korin shrugged again. "The mission I was on was a set-up, so I went into hiding. Eventually, I was found by an Aisu named Frost, who was surprised to find a Saiyan off world, and hiding no less. Since I figured I'd be in trouble if he knew who I was, I faked compete retrograde amnesia; clean slate stuff. He offered me a chance to get back at Frieza, and I accepted. Because my 'complete amnesia' also 'robbed me of my fighting skills' I wound up becoming Frieza's personal 'paperwork monkey'."

Kaen's analytical mind, now itself again, quickly put two and two together. "You mean-"

"Yup," Korin nodded. "I was Frost's contact inside Frieza's operation. I was the one who censored all reports about 'Phoenix', and I'm the one who kept you off Frieza's radar for so long. That's how I know that he did to you what he'd done to me. However, when you guys disappeared, some officer named Dodoria announced that he'd killed you, and got promoted to Frieza's left hand man for it. Me, I went nuts and tried to kill him, which, as you can guess, was unsuccessful."

"So you mean, all that time, you were alive, and you didn't try to contact me once?"

Korin smiled sadly. "I couldn't. If Frieza even suspected I had the slightest idea of who I was, he would have killed me." Shaking his head, he continued his story, "When I got down here and found neither you nor Pi, nor anyone else, I figured that you either must've done enough good to get into the other place, or had gotten reincarnated. I had no idea you were even still alive until that 'Phoenix' showed up down here."

Allowing himself a moment of weakness, Kaen stood up and embraced his brother, whispering, "I missed you Korin."

The older Saiyan hugged his brother back; a manly, familial hug. "I missed you too bro."

_-My shadow's the only one that walks beside me-  
-My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating-  
-Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me-  
-'Til then I walk alone-_

The sibling's reunion was suddenly broken by an angry shout from Kellre of, "That's pathetic! You call yourself a Saiyan? Your reflexes are terrible!"

Stabbing the point of his sword into the bedrock, Gohan used it as a leaning post as he tried to catch his breath. "Hey, that's not my fault!" Gohan defended himself hotly, glaring at the older man with the black sword. "This thing is bloody heavy; it's throwing me off."

Stabbing his own sword into the ground, Kellre strode up to him, shooing him away as he grasped the sword. "Let's take a look at it then." He yanked the weapon out of the ground; or at least, attempted to. A pensive look on his face, he held onto the handle for a moment, examining the weapon before turning to Kaen and shouting out, "Hey runt, come here and tell me what you think of this sword."

With a shrug, Kaen walked forward and laid his hand on the weapon, testing its weight, before flaring into Super Saiyan and hefting the massive weapon. Spinning the weapon around in his hand, before making a few practice swipes, he commented dryly, "The sword's fucked. Get a new one."

"What?" Gohan shouted in shock, "But the Supreme Kai said that this was the ultimate sword. How could it be broken?" Kellre merely nodded in silent agreement to Kaen's assessment.

Kaen shrugged, swinging the sword around a bit more. "This sword may very well be the most powerful blade in existence, if it's working right. The Chi flow's buggered though, which is why the damn thing's so heavy. Near as I can tell, there's something interfering with the flow, so unless you can find a way to purge that, the sword's rooted and will only slow you down." Stabbing the weapon back into the ground, Kaen held out a hand, his sword flashing into his grasp, before he tossed the weapon absently at Gohan. "Use this for your training. It's not bound to you, so it'll be heavier to you than it is me, but it's sure as shit a better weapon that yours even like that."

Kellre smirked as Gohan adjusted his grip on the unfamiliar weapon, moving to reclaim his own sword. "Well then," the older fighter commented, slicing a line in the ground in front of him, "Shall we continue from where we left off?"

_-Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Aaah-ah-  
-Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah-_

"That's much better," Kellre commented, as a tired Gohan lazily threw the weapon in his hand back at its owner; Kaen caught the sword effortlessly. "You have finally managed to master the art of sword fighting. You are not yet at the level of Blademaster, just like Kaen was not when he finished my course, but you have the potential within you. All that remains is for you to bind your personal sword, and master it."

As he watched Gohan reclaim the Z-Sword and sheath the weapon, Kibito, having spent the past hour or so watching the teen train, asked in his booming voice, "Are you ready to leave Gohan?"

Gohan nodded, walking over to Kibito, before his stomach let out a massive, echoing rumble. Smiling sheepishly, he added, "I just hope you guys've got some food up there."

Smirking down at him, Kibito replied, "I think we can find something." With a flash of light, they were gone.

Nodding in Kaen's direction, Kellre commented, "I'll leave you to say your good-byes," before fading out.

Turning to his older brother, Kaen smiled sadly. "I guess this is it then. Once I leave and take my sword with me, there'll be no way for me to come back, not until..."

Korin smiled. "Sure there is. Here." With a flourish, Korin produced a pendant, in the shape of a Phoenix. "Hook this onto your sword. Since it kinda violates the rules of this place, when you call it to yourself again, the charm'll still be attached, but the charm is bound to here, so you'll always have a path you can trace back. Plus, it'll be something to remember me by."

"Thanks bro," Kaen replied, doing as his brother instructed. As he started to fade, he called out, "I swear I'll visit. And I'll bring Pi with me next time. Promise!"

Heaving a sigh, Korin whispered, "I'll miss you little brother. Take care of yourself."

_-I'm walking down the line-  
-That divides me somewhere in my mind-  
-On the border line-  
-Of the edge and where I walk alone-_

The sound of training echoed across the Lookout, Oran and Lime having taken to training Goten and Trunks with a will. Goku, Piccolo and Krillin stood nearby, observing the training session with a mixed sense of wonder and amusement. The twins, it seemed, had picked up on Kaen and Pi's 'carrot and stick' approach, though Oran had taken to it a bit literally.

Whereas Lime just used kind words and promises of such rewards as food for doing well, Oran used a bamboo rod he'd found somewhere to discipline them when they stepped out of line; the boys already had a couple of bruises on them from a few early mistakes, but they were slowly getting better. "Fu Sion Ha!" There was the sound of bamboo hitting skin, and a startled yelp rang up from Trunks. "What the hell was that for?" The boy shouted, rubbing the back of his hand.

"Index fingers _only_ Trunks," Oran replied sternly. "I've told you before, and I'm gonna hit you until you get it right. Now, again!"

"Shouldn't you put a stop to that Goku?" Krillin asked, referring to Oran's disciplinary tactics.

"Whatever gets the job done," Piccolo replied a touch coldly. "The boys have improved greatly under this training style. They're learning this faster than I had dared hope."

"Piccolo's right Krillin," Goku replied with a shrug, "In the end, this'll help them learn faster than anything I could have done."

The adults' conversation was broken by a shout of, "Again! I'm not gonna be happy until you guys can do this in under five seconds!"

"What?" Trunks shouted incredulously, "You gotta be kidding me? Not even you guys could do this in under five seconds!"

Two seconds later, a cry of "Fusion Ha!" rang out, and Liran was present once more. Picking up Oran's discarded bamboo rod, she proved she was every bit as hard a taskmaster as Oran.

_-Read between the lines-  
-What's fucked up and everything's alright-  
-Check my vital signs-  
-To know I'm still alive and I walk alone-_

Elsewhere, atop the observation deck, sat Videl and Dende, mourning the loss of their friend together. Chichi, Bulma, and the rest of the Z-Fighters were inside somewhere, but Videl just didn't feel... at peace, she guessed, with them. With the exception of maybe Bulma, none of them understood how she felt, but the bluenette was busy with both her own grief, and with consoling Chichi.

With Dende, however, she felt an odd sense of kinship, like he knew exactly how she felt. 'Then again,' she mused to herself, 'He's God, so he probably does.' Dangling her feet over the edge, she turned away from her silent observation of the training kids to the demi-god seated cross-legged beside her, asking, "Do you really think the boys have what it takes to defeat Majin Buu?"

A neutral look on his face, Dende shrugged. "I really can't say. I mean, with this fusion thing there's a good chance they can get to a level of strength to match, or even exceed, Majin Buu, but the stronger fighter isn't always the victor in a fight."

Videl sighed; this is what she was afraid of as well. Simply put, Goten and Trunks just didn't have enough experience to match Majin Buu. They were wild, reckless, careless, and just one of those would give Majin Buu the upper hand. "Looks like I'll be seeing Gohan again soon enough then won't it?" She commented defeatedly.

"You can't talk like that Videl!" Dende exclaimed. "You can't give up hope."

She smiled slightly. "You're right Dende. Besides, I know Gohan's alive out there somewhere, and he's going to show up and settle this Majin Buu thing once and for all." Turning back to the training below, she added, "Assuming the kids leave anything for him."

_-I walk alone-  
-I walk alone-_

"Fusion Ha!" A blinding flash of light washed over the Lookout, as strong winds swirled around the light's origin. Those inside the many buildings of the Lookout, save Videl and Dende, ran out to see what the commotion was about, and arrived in time to see the light fade, revealing that Goten and Trunks were gone.

In their place stood a boy who's height was at around the mid-way point between the two boys. His hair stood up on his head in a manner similar to Vegeta's, with one major difference; on either side, his hair was the lavender Trunks was known for, while the rest was jet black. His face was filled with hard lines and angles as well, and for all intents and purposes, he looked like a younger Vegeta; ironic, really, that for Trunks to look like his father, he needed to fuse with the son of his father's rival.

He wore an open black vest, with gold collars around his neck and arms, and matching wristbands; unlike Liran, however, he wore no undershirt. Similar to the girl, he wore loose white pants, secured at the bottom by the black boots he wore, topped with blue ankle-wraps, and secured at the top by a matching deep blue sash belt. Pumping his fist into the air, the new boy shouted, "Oh yeah! I'm the best!"

_-I walk alone-  
-I walk a...-_

"So what do we call you then?" Krillin asked curiously.

"My name's Gotenks!" The fused warrior replied, his dual-voice echoing across the Lookout, so he could be sure everyone knew who he was.

"So how does it feel?" Goku asked next; he'd never been able to do the fusion with anyone, so he really wanted to know what it was like.

"It. Feels. AWESOME!" Gotenks cried, jumping into the air and pumping his fist again. "I'm stronger now than we ever were as Super Saiyans! I'm totally ready to teach that Majin Buu a thing or two!"

"Not so fast hotshot," Liran interjected, cracking him over the back of the head with her bamboo rod. "You've still got a long way to go before you can take on the heavyweight champ. Now, let's get to work."

"Aww, come on!" Gotenks pleaded, "We just got this working, can't we take a break?"

The girl shook her head. "Nope. The fact you got this working means we've now got half an hour to train you as strong as possible. You can rest when your fusion wears off. Now," she dropped into stance, bamboo rod held like a sword, "Let's do this thing."

_-My shadow's the only one that walks beside me-  
-My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating-  
-Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me-  
-'Til then I walk alone-_

"Time to go Goku," Uranai Baba announced, floating atop her crystal ball. Over half an hour had passed, and Goku's remaining time on Earth had finally expired.

Goku smiled sadly at his assembled family and friends. "Well, I guess this is it..."

"No!" Chichi cried, running forward and hugging him fiercely, "I don't want you to go away again... I just got you back, and with Gohan..."

"I'm sorry Chi," he whispered, "But I have to. Even if I could stay here, I'd just keep getting weaker and weaker until I could barely move. The only way for me to get better is to return to Otherworld." Kissing her, he stepped out of her embrace, adding softly, "I'll give Gohan your love."

She nodded, tears sliding slowly down her cheeks, as she stepped back, but before Goku could even consider turning, Goten raced forward and grabbed his legs, asking brokenly, "Daddy, why do you have to go?"

Placing a hand on his head, Goku replied softly, "It's not my place here anymore son. I'm just a visitor, and it's time for me to go home." Turning his attention to the other three kids, he added, "It's all up to your guys. Get stronger, and defeat Majin Buu."

"We won't let you down Goku," Lime replied.

Turning to the newest member of their group, he asked, "Videl, is there anything you'd like me to tell Gohan?"

She shook her head; "I still don't believe he's dead, and even if he is... There's nothing that need be spoken."

Goku nodded, before gently prying Goten off and taking to the sky, following the floating form of Baba. Waving at the group, "Bye guys! Take care of yourselves!" And then he was gone, and the world felt a little less bright.

_-Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Ah-ah, Aaah-ah-  
-Ah-ah, Ah-ah-_

"Are you ready to resume Gohan?" Shin asked the demi-Saiyan.

With a nod, Gohan stood up from the table; turns out Shin actually did have a house on this planet, though mansion was probably a better term. Picking he Z Sword up, Gohan flew back out to his training grounds, running through the warm-up exercises Kellre had drilled him on, as he pondered a solution to his problem.

_-I walk alone-  
-I walk a...-_

Kellre and Kaen both had said that his sword was corrupted, imperfect; Gohan chose not to share this fact with Kibito or Shin, who would probably blow a gasket, and had instead told them he was using Kaen's sword purely because the lighter weapon was easier to learn sword forms with. As he stepped up his training, Gohan could feel something within the sword resonating with his own energy, but it was like a faint echo.

That he felt anything at all told him, without a doubt, that this was his pre-destined weapon. 'All I have left to do is bind this weapon to myself, and master it,' Gohan mused to himself, echoing Kellre's final words of advise. Closing his eyes as he worked, Gohan began to focus on the weapon. He would do this; the universe depended on him mastering this weapon.

_-I walk this empty street-  
-On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams-_

Goku cast his eyes sadly along the massive line of puffy yellow clouds leading into King Yemma's palace/office. "So many people have died today..." he commented sadly. "Was it really worth all this, just to settle the score with Vegeta? We didn't even reach a victor..." He sighed, landing on the path and striding in to the palace.

"Hey!" One of the ogres called out; strangely, he had his arm in a sling. "You can't go in there yet! You're supposed to join the line."

Goku blinked, before replying, "Oh, don't worry about that. I've already been judged; just came back from a day trip to Earth." Before the ogre could comment on it further, the deceased fighter strode into the office in search of King Yemma.

_-Where the city sleeps-  
-And I'm the only one and I walk a...-_

He found the giant red demon right where he knew he'd be; behind his desk. "So many deaths," he boomed, "What could possibly be going on up there?" Goku drew the paperwork demon's attention by leaping up onto his desk. "Ah, Goku. What can I help you with?"

"Has anyone named Gohan come through here?" Goku asked nervously. "About my height, short hair. He's my son."

Yemma shook his head, "No. I'm sure I would know if your son had come through, and I haven't seen him, so if he's not in the line outside, he's not here."

Goku grinned broadly, taking flight and calling out, "Thanks King Yemma." Floating slowly out of the palace, he mused to himself, "Looks like Videl was right. The question is, where is he then?" Setting himself on the top of the palace, he sat down, cross-legged, and closed his eyes to ponder the issue.

_-My shadow's the only one that walks beside me-  
-My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating-_

With the hiss of venting steam, the door of the rejuvenation chamber that held the recovering form of one First Class warrior Kapskaen slid open, releasing it's occupant once more. Climbing to his feet slowly, his eyes slid open, taking in the worried form of his mate, Pi, still standing watch over him. The pair stood in silence for a moment, before Pi asked, "Kaen? Are we-"

Before she could even finish her question, he took the required steps forward until they were nose to nose, and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. Silencing his inner doubts, he let his feelings run through his mind, letting his instincts answer for him. A sense of warmth was the most forefront in his mind. There were others of course: red hot rage at his perceived betrayal at her hands; the soft smoky haze of lust, an arousal from being so close to her; the warmth overwhelmed them all. It was contentment.

He knew that she would stand by him forever more. That she would watch his back, and push him onwards in strength and skill. The peace of mind that sheer certainty gave him brought him that warm sense of contentment, and for now, that would be enough. "Yeah Pi," he replied softly, "I think we're going to be just fine

_-Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me-  
-'Til then I walk alone...-_

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Author's notes:

I'm not sure this is my best work, but considering I wrote this in a single day, it's good enough for now.


	39. D14: Land of Confusion

--- Disturbance, Book 2: Divergence ---

Chapter D14 - Land of Confusion

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-I must have dreamed a thousand dreams-  
-Been haunted by a million screams-  
-But I can hear the marching feet-  
-They're moving into the street-_

For five hours, the Lookout had been filled with the sights and sounds of a rigorous training cycle. Under Oran and Lime's directive, Goten and Trunks would fuse into Gotenks, and Oran and Lime into Liran, and the two would train. After half an hour, the Gotenks fusion would wear off, and through means unknown to any bar them, Oran and Lime would forcibly separate prematurely, and they would spend the next half hour resting. And then they fused again.

Quite frankly, the other people on the Lookout were sick of it. Sure, the appearance of Gotenks and Liran was impressive the first couple of times, as was the blinding speeds the pair managed to reach as they trained across the white-tiled palace garden, but after five hours, it was old hat, and plain and simply, boring.

Chichi and Bulma had returned to their card game, though now they had dragged in Eighteen, Krillin, and Yamcha, the short blonde pigtails of Marron barely visible above the tabletop indicating where she sat; on her mother's lap. Piccolo still stood watch over the training kids, though everyone else had retired inside, to await the results, either good or bad. Videl and Dende had returned - well, remained - atop the Observation Deck, removed enough from the group to grieve in peace, but close enough to watch what's going on.

It didn't look good. "Dende," Videl asked slowly, "Are they making much progress? I mean, Majin Buu's gonna be whole again in, like, half a day isn't he? Are the boys going to be ready by then?"

Dende grimaced, then shook his head slowly. "No Videl, things aren't looking good. While they're getting better at fusion, Goten and Trunks just aren't getting stronger fast enough, and while I can't be sure, I think Majin Buu may be regenerating faster. I'm afraid we may not be able to win this one."

"Don't worry Dende," the human girl replied confidently, "I'm sure Gohan'll be back in time to save the world from destruction again."

"I hope so Videl," the demi-God replied slowly, "I truly hope so."

_-Now, did you read the news today?-  
-They say the danger has gone away-  
-But I can see the fire's still alight-  
-They're burning into the night-_

Tension was high down on the training field, as Gotenks and Liran squared off and duelled for the sixth time now, and sooner or later, one of them was going to snap. Turns out, it was sooner. With a shouted, "That's it! I've had it!" Liran snapped the bamboo rod in two, and stalked away from the fight.

Her shout having drawn the attention of those inside again, Krillin raced out, asking frantically, "What is it? What's going on?"

"What's going on?" Liran parroted, before continuing angrily, "'What's going on' is that we are all doomed!"

A fresh round of shock was passed around the group, before Yamcha asked, "Doomed? Why? The boys are powerful enough to stop him, especially fused."

Her hair flicking around as she shook her head, she replied, "No, what we have is a pair of _boneheads_, who fuse to form an even BIGGER bonehead!" She stabbed a finger in Gotenks' direction. "They are more concerned with flashy moves and showing off to inflate their already moon-sized ego to properly train. They are _never_ going to be strong enough to beat Majin Buu!"

Piccolo, by this point, would have been berating their teaching style, if it wasn't the sort of thing he would have done anyway had he been in charge. Instead, he stated, "If the boys knuckle down and get to work, then we will-"

He was cut off as Liran cried out, "You just don't get it Pickles! We have, what, eighteen and change? Less? Hours to get these boys up to code. We have already wasted five hours, and it's clearly obvious to me that eighteen hours is not going to be enough. Hell, a week wouldn't be enough! I would need an entire year to get them ready to fight Buu, and we just don't have that kind of time!"

There was an awkward silence, before the newly arrived Dende, Videl in tow, replied quietly, "Actually, we do."

_-There's too many men, too many people-  
-Making too many problems-  
-And there's not much love to go around-  
-Can't you see this is a land of confusion?-_

"No!" Chichi shouted immediately, "No, I am not letting one of my sons go through that again."

"What?" Liran asked, looking around at the assembled grown-ups. "What is it?"

Surprisingly, it was Bulma that tried to reason with her, seemingly ignoring the fused girl as she pressed, "But Chi, this may be the only way. Goten and Trunks are the only hope we have left, and if this is what they need to do to win, then we just have to let them. Which would you prefer: that Goten go through with this, or that he, and everyone else on the planet, die?"

Tapping her foot irritably, Liran growled, "Hello? Is somebody going to tell me what you're talking about?"

"But Bulma," Chichi replied, again ignoring the girl, "Gohan was never the same afterwards. I'm afraid that sweet, innocent Goten will be-"

She was cut off by a massively loud explosion above them, which drowned out all other sound; the explosion itself, however, was harmless. All heads shot in the direction of the culprit, finding Liran standing there with one hand still pointed in the direction of the blast. She smirked, "Okay, now that I have your attention, is someone going to tell me what the _fuck_ you're babbling about?"

"The Room of Spirit and Time," Piccolo replied in his usual stoic manner. "Also known as the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. A near limitless room where a year inside takes only a single day outside."

She nodded slowly, turning to Bulma and commenting, "You're right B, this may be our only hope." Turning to the fused boy behind her, she grinned and asked, "So 'Tenks, you man enough to face the vast unknown of the RoSaT?" Slowly, very slowly, Gotenks nodded. She turned back to Piccolo. "So, where is this room?"

_-This is the world we live in-  
-And these are the hands we're given-  
-Use them and let's start trying-  
-To make it a place worth living in-_

"This is it?" Oran asked disinterestedly, staring at the fairly plain wooden door. The two fusions had worn off as Piccolo led them deeper into the Lookout, the green man leading the four kids past countless doors, before stopping abruptly in front of this one. Now, while the Saiyan boy wasn't expecting neon signs announcing that this was a room or power, he at least thought it'd stand out, possibly with gold trim or something, so to see a door that was more boring than the rest was a tad... disappointing. "It doesn't look like much."

The corner of Piccolo's mouth turned up in his version of a smile. "No, it doesn't, but it doesn't need to. Behind this door is the Room of Spirit and Time, a place where time and space are warped, twisted, and contained. The room is endless, and easy to get lost in, so I suggest you remain within sight of the entrance, and the housing chamber around it, at all times."

Trunks scoffed, "Pfft, it can't really be endless."

Piccolo continued on unperturbed, "For every hour you spend inside, a mere ten seconds will have elapsed outside. Every day, just four minutes. Every week, less than half an hour. One year's time inside is just twenty four hours outside, and no being, mortal or otherwise, can spend more than two full cycles inside the chamber; if they do, the room seals shut behind them, trapping them inside forever." He smirked slightly, "I must warn you, in the chamber's entire history, only four people have managed to last the entire year inside: Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, and Mirai Trunks."

"Wow!" Goten chirped, "You mean both my daddy and my brother have been in here? Cool!"

Piccolo nodded just once. "Now, normally only two people at a time could go in the room, but Dende has been tinkering around with it and has removed that restriction. He, however, is not sure whether he has removed the clause that people aged as the room did while in here or not."

"You mean I could come outta there a year older?" Trunks cried out, shaking his head violently, "Nuh uh, I'm not going in there!"

"What's the matter Trunks?" Lime goaded, "Gohan did this when we was about your age. You're not afraid of getting older are you?"

Trunks, however, was not going to rise to the bait, replying in a half serious, half deadpan voice, "Yes. Yes, I am afraid of getting older."

Oran folded his arms. "The way I see it you have two choices. Either we go inside and train to stop Majin Buu, or we stay here, and I get to kill you. Either way, I win."

Trunks scowled. "I just want you to know, I'm not Gohan."

Oran nodded. "Dually noted. Get in the fucking door."

Turning to face the wooden door, Trunks whinged, "Aww fuckberries..." before swinging it open, and the four kids strode inside. (1)

_-Oh, superman, where are you now?-  
-When everything's gone wrong somehow?-  
-The men of steel, these men of power-  
-Are losing control by the hour-_

"Now then," Goku mused to himself from his perch atop King Yemma's celestial palace, "What would Gohan's energy signature feel like now..."

Having spent many years with nothing but training and eating to occupy his time, rather than creating and learning new techniques, Goku had instead chosen to refine the techniques he had, hone them, make them perfect, and included in these techniques were his Instant Transmission, and his Ki Sense. And master them he had. Goku could, given the time and the drive, find anyone in the same dimension as him and teleport to them.

Of course, he couldn't just pick a random person and teleport to them, he needed some way of picking an individual thread out of the tapestry that made up the universe. He could, for example, find Vegeta easily, because he knew the dead prince's energy wave extremely well. However, with said prince being in Hell, he wouldn't be able to just sense him normally; he'd have to use his new method.

Working on a similar principle to echo location, Goku could project a wave of energy like he was searching for, and wait for it to 'bounce' back towards him, which is would only do if the wave resonated with the target. However, the technique wasn't perfect because, as he'd found in the past, a person's unique ki signature is made up from parts of their parents; thus, sending out a wave would resonate with the target, their parents, and their children.

For example, if, on earth, he sent out Vegeta's signature, he would find both Vegeta and Trunks. Doing the same in Otherworld as it was now would locate Vegeta, his father and mother, potentially their parents, and so on, each generation fainter than the last. Sending out his own wave her in Otherworld would find his brother Radditz, his father Bardock, his mother - who he had never met - and, if he was here, his son.

However, with this technique still being as it was, just locating a signature that resonated with his wouldn't be enough to find Gohan, so he sent out two waves; his own, and Chichi's, a signature he knew like the back of his hand. Theoretically, the only person around who should resonate with both would be Gohan.

A grin spread across his features as he felt an echo, crowing triumphantly, "There he is! Wow, he must be on the very edge of Otherworld. Wonder what he's doing there." Standing up, he placed two fingers to his forehead, locking on to the signal, "Well, one way to find out."

Then he was gone.

_-This is the time, this is the place-  
-So we look for the future-  
-But there's not much love to go around-  
-Tell me why this is a land of confusion-_

Gohan was the epitome of focus and determination, breathing deeply, eyes closed, as his body ran through the series of training exercised Kellre had taught him automatically. His mind ran through every solution to his current problem: the corruption he could now feel quite clearly in the Z Sword. A wave of white light washed over the blade, coating it, as he used the hyper-sensitivity his energy allowed him to trace the weapon's chi flow, to find the extent of the corruption, and the source. He was focus, he was determination, he was-

"Hey Go-" Distracted. With a startled yelp, Goku dropped to the ground and ducked under the swing that would have taken his head off, a trio of sliced hair fluttering to the ground to land on the soft grass. Holding a hand over his heart as he lay on his back, propped up on one elbow, Goku cried out, "Geez Gohan! What are you trying to do, kill me?"

"Dad?" Gohan's eyes snapped open, his focus gone as he searched for the man. "Dad! What are you doing here? How'd you get here? Heck, aren't you supposed to still be on Earth?"

Climbing to his feet, Goku grinned as his golden-haired son. "I followed your ki trail to here. You're way out in the outskirts of Otherworld ya know? I almost didn't find ya." With a shrug, he added, "And going Super Saiyan Three forced me to come back sooner than I would have liked, but don't worry, I've got the kids working on a plan to save everyone." He blinked a moment, suddenly noticing something, and cried out, "Hey, you don't have a halo!"

Gohan grinned back, "Nope. I'm still alive. Shin and Kibito just brought me here to get this," he indicated the sword he still held, "and train to stop Buu."

"So Videl was right then." Goku smirked slyly. "You know, she never believed you were dead. Said she'd feel it. You haven't done anything you should tell your old man about have you?" Gohan blushed slightly, but shook his head. "Are you sure? When I asked if she had anything she wanted me to tell you, her reply was 'nothing that need be spoken'."

His face practically pulsing red, and almost hot enough to fry an egg on, Gohan replied slowly, "Well dad... I love her. And with luck, she loves me too. But no, we haven't done anything. Well, I did kiss her, but..."

Goku grinned, "You sly dog you. So, what's with the sword?"

_-This is the world we live in-  
-And these are the hands we're given-  
-Use them and let's start trying-  
-To make it a place worth living in-_

Planting the sword nose-first into the dirt, to save having to hold it up any longer, Gohan replied, "Apparently, this sword, the Z Sword, is the most powerful weapon on the universe, and in a very King Arthur-Excalibur kind of way, I'm the only one that's been able to free it from the rock spire is was stabbed up to the hilt into, making me it's chosen wielder. Kaen and Kellre have been teaching me how to use it properly."

"Kellre's dead?" Goku asked curiously, head tilted to one side, "When did he die?"

"He didn't," Gohan replied with a shrug, "He and Kaen both, for lack of a better term, projected themselves here to Otherworld to teach me." suddenly remembering something, he added, "Oh, and Kaen's not dead either."

That got a surprised look from Goku. "He's not? Wow, he just doesn't stay down does he?

Gohan grinned. "Is that a note of jealousy I detect in your voice dad?" His father just waved him off. "Problem is, according to Kaen and Kellre both, the sword's broken."

"What do you mean 'broken'?" Kibito, watching from nearby, screeched incredulously, standing next to an equally gaping Shin. "The Z Sword is the most powerful weapon in existence; how can it be broken?"

'Oh, shit, right. Forgot they were there.' Gohan swore to himself; he'd gotten so distracted by his father's arrival he forgot Shin and Kibito were observing him. 'Damn that was a newbie mistake. Ah well, guess I better bite the bullet.' "They told me the chi flow of the weapon is corrupted, which is why it's so heavy and difficult to use. I've been examining it myself, and they're right; there's... something interfering with the flow."

Looking at the weapon as though seeing it for the first time, Shin asked worriedly, "Can you... 'fix' it?"

Gohan nodded, picking the weapon up again and flaring into Super Saiyan Two. "Yeah, I think I can. I could feel it... well, moving, as I probed the blade with my ki, and I think I worked out what they meant by 'binding the weapon to myself'; I need to feed my ki into it, until it takes it on, becoming part of myself, an extension of my will, my soul, rather than just my body." He took a few steps away from everyone. "Guys, stay back. Here goes."

With a roar, Gohan's aura burst into life, and the Z Sword was wreathed in golden flame. Gohan swung the weapon as though attacking invisible foes, more to give his body something to do than because he needed the practice, as he forced his ki deep into the weapon. The others could quickly see the effects taking hold, as, with each swing, an arc of purple smoke left the weapon, and swirled around his aura.

Faster and faster Gohan swung the sword, his aura doubling in size, before his form became completely obscured by the purple smoke. Then, as suddenly as he'd started, Gohan stopped, his aura dying and the smoke drifting away. Shin bit back a gasp as he beheld the weapon now in Gohan's hands. Gone was the dull grey blade, leaving behind a brilliant silver colour, that looked gold in the right light. The dull yellow hilt was now a pure gold, and at the base of the jet-black handle, sat a perfectly cut sapphire.

_-I remember long ago-  
-When the sun was shining-  
-And all the stars were bright all through the night-  
-In the wake of this madness, as I held you tight-  
-So long ago-_

With a nod, Goku commented, "Now that's more what I was expecting from a powerful ancient artefact."

"And very well done that was young man," A new voice called out from amidst the purple smoke. "Freeing me without damaging the sword; you exceeded all my expectations." The smoke soon cleared, revealing a being that looked exactly like Shin, except aged a few millennia. "But then, I _had_ thought it would be a Kai that would do it."

"Who... Who are you?" Shin asked curiously.

The being shrugged. "My name has long since been lost to the sands of time. Fair to say though boy, I am your ancestor and predecessor. Just call me Elder."

Gohan seemed the only one not surprised by Elder's appearance, as proven when he commented, "I thought it felt like a ki signature corrupting the sword's chi flow. So you were sealed away in the weapon were you?"

Elder nodded. "Ages past, when this universe was still in its infantile stage, I was sealed away by a greater demon, who feared my powers; the power to unlock the true potential of anyone, mortal or immortal. He sealed me inside the most powerful weapon of the age, knowing that, even should anyone know of my imprisonment, I would be forever trapped, as no one would destroy so holy a relic, which was, the demon believed, the only way to free me."

"You can unlock people's true powers?" Gohan asked eagerly, "Then can-"

"Of course I can boy," Elder replied with a grin. "That's what the legends predicted. He who freed me from my steel and magic prison would have need of my powers, to defeat the greatest evil known to man. Sound about right?"

Gohan nodded. "Well, considering Majin Buu draws his power from the Well of Evil itself, yeah, that about sums things up."

Taking a seat on the grass, Elder indicated the patch of earth before him, stating, "Sit. If you're anywhere near as strong as I think you are, this could take a long time."

_-I won't be coming home tonight-  
-My generation will put it right-  
-We're not just making promises-  
-That we know we'll never keep-_

The fact that Kaen and Pi arrived on the bridge of the Icebreaker with Kaen's arm around her shoulder, Pi's arm around his back, and their tails intertwined, was a good sign that their relationship was getting back on track. That they appeared to be acting like a new couple, however, was less so. With a mental shrug, the four adults present (Truniz and Cherri being elsewhere) all seemed to come to the same realisation; they had put everything that happened behind them and started afresh. Again.

"Big brother!" Kat cried, racing across the room and leaping into a flying tackle hug; also known as a glomp. "Ooh, I'm _soo_ glad you're okay."

Coughing as he caught her with one arm, stumbling back a step, he wheezed, "Easy there little sis, I still need some time to recover 'fore you can try that again."

"You're not fully healed?" April asked worriedly, in her patented mothering tone, her eyes casting over him for any remaining injuries.

When Kaen shrugged, Raene then asked, "So what're you doing out of the tank?"

"There's nothing left it can do for me," Kaen replied with another shrug. "My body's fine. It's my soul that needs to recover now, and the regen tank can't exactly help that."

"Why would your soul need to recover?" A voice called from behind them, heralding Truniz's return to the bridge, Cherri wrapped in his arm.

"You mean other than the massive imbalance caused by breaking not just one, but two Super Saiyan barriers in the space of a few minutes?" Kaen remarked rhetorically. "Someone was draining my energy as fast as the tank could return it."

"Someone?" Kellre prompted. Despite their long talk earlier, he never got the full story about what was going on.

Kaen heaved a sigh. "Okay, the short version is: For the past month I've basically had an evil doppelganger living inside my head, and when Babidi tried to take control of me he merged with all of my negative thoughts and memories before taking over my body, becoming Dark Phoenix. Working together, Pi and I managed to boot him out, but when he wound up in Hell he and I were still linked, so he was draining my energy both trying to find a way to escape, and to fight off Gohan, who had been sent to Hell to destroy him."

There was a moment of awkward silence, before Avarrdo stated, "I think we need the long version."

Kaen grimaced. "I was afraid you'd say that..."

_-There's too many men, too many people-  
-Making too many problems-  
-And there's not much love to go round-  
-Can't you see this is a land of confusion?-_

In the far reaches of space, a deep, rumbling laugh echoed across the airless environment; of course, due to a lack of air, it was impossible to hear it. It had taken a long time - from what the pieces of him left on the blue planet reported, the sun had already passed over them again - but he had finally rebuilt his body. And, even better, he had returned to his ideal form, the one he had used to kill that stupid girl.

A pink aura burst into life around him, as he blasted back the way he had come, arcing through the vacuum of the cosmos like a sickly pink comet. He was going to bring death and destruction to all of them, starting with the stupid planet that had _dared_ to hurt him!

_-Now, this is the world we live in-  
-And these are the hands we're given-_

"Oh sweet and merciful Kais," Dende breathed, turning back to the palace and shouting, "Majin Buu is fully regenerated and is on his way!"

"So, it's time then huh?" Piccolo muttered from beside him.

"It would seem that way," the demigod replied sadly.

"You think the kids have had enough time to train?" Videl asked, her tone strangely missing the fear one would expect given the situation.

Dende just shrugged. "We'll find out soon enough won't we?"

"W-when is M..Majin B-Buu gonna a-arrive?" Krillin asked fearfully.

A grimace coming to Piccolo's face, he replied, "He's already here."

_-Use them and let's start trying-  
-To make it a place worth fighting for-_

As if his words summoned him, the grim visage of Majin Buu appeared before them, landing on the edge of the tiled structure. Laughing deeply, Buu demanded, "Produce."

"Produce what?" Piccolo replied smoothly.

Buu laughed deeply again, before scowling, "The long haired man - the first one - promised me a powerful fighter. Now, produce."

"He's not ready yet," Piccolo commented. "The deal was, you wait two days, and we give you your challenger. Only a single day has passed. Just wait one more day."

"No more waiting," Buu growled. "The second man caused me great pain. That cost you your extra day. Now, PRODUCE!"

Giving a silent prayer, Piccolo stated calmly, "You want something to do for the next day? There are still billions of people down on Earth. Why not amuse yourself by killing them?"

_-This is the world we live in-  
-And these are the names we're given-_

"Piccolo!" Dende shouted, "What the hell are you doing?"

"What's necessary." Piccolo replied calmly, as Majin Buu strode around the perimeter of the Lookout, his gaze locked onto the planet below.

"W-What's he doing?" Krillin asked fearfully.

A look of horror coming to her face as Majin Buu neared the end of his circuit, Videl gasped, "He's counting everybody on Earth."

"No, worse," Piccolo added. "He's finding them."

With a sick grin, Majin Buu raised a single hand above his head, a pink ball of light forming, and he announced triumphantly, "Witness the end of humanity!" Before anyone could stop him, thousands, millions, billions of pink blasts rained down upon the Earth, and one by one, all life was wiped from the face of the Earth. His grin twisting to a smirk, he drawled, "Majin Genocide Technique. Nice huh? Now, produce!"

_-Stand up and let's start showing-  
-Just where our lives are going to-_

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's notes:

(1) - This dialogue was stolen from a web series. Five points to the first person to correctly guess which one who's name isn't Ninja, who already knows.

I'm so sorry this took to get out. Writer's block + World of Warcraft + Girlfriend -> Very little writing getting done. I'll endeavour to get the next one done on time.


	40. D15: Numb

--- Disturbance, Book 2: Divergence ---

Chapter D15 - Numb

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_-I'm tired of being what you want me to be-  
-Feeling so faithless lost under the surface-_

"Wow!" Goten breathed, gazing out across the vast white field before them. Everything was white; the walls (assuming there were any), the ceiling (assuming their was one) and the floor. In fact, the young boy couldn't even tell where the room ended, just noticing the vague black line of the horizon, but then he remembered Piccolo saying the room was endless. "This place is cool!"

"This place sucks ass," Trunks grumbled, flopping down on the short stairwell leading down from the cream-tiled housing chamber tot he pure white floor. "How the hell is this place supposed to make us strong enough to fight Buu?"

Gritting her teeth, Lime booted the boy hard in the back and sent him sprawling on the ground outside the protective shielding of the housing chamber, where it became clear the gravity was stronger (a mere 2G, but a noticeable difference all the same). "By you getting off your lazy ass and training, that's how!"

As Trunks rubbed his back and grumbled to himself, Oran strode out onto the training field before turning back to the chamber, casting his gaze up towards the giant hourglasses framing the staircase, that had just started to count down from whatever total they'd been set to; he assumed it was a year. "We have about nine months to get you boys strong enough to defeat Majin Buu," he stated firmly. "More if we're lucky, less if we're unlucky. Now then, I want you two to fight each other in your base forms until either Lime or myself tell you otherwise."

"And what if we don't?" Trunks sassed.

The boy never heard her move, but he sure felt it when she kneed him in the back of the head at high speed. "Now you listen, and you listen good," She growled, her tail lashing about angrily behind her, "Our brother and sister gave up their lives to buy us this time, and if either one of you slack off for a second I swear to every god ever to exist I personally make the rest of your miserable existences a living hell. I will have you begging for a death I will not grant you, and when you do eventually die, I will follow you to the other side and keep going. We clear?"

Trunks swallowed fearfully. "Crystal ma'am!"

She smirked. "Good boy. Now get to work."

_-Don't know what you're expecting of me-  
-Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes-  
-(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertow)-_

This was not how Gohan expected he would obtain god-like power. He had always assumed his true potential would be unlocked through harsh meditation and rigorous training so as to fully master his body, mind, and soul. He'd assumed it would be a colossal achievement, the crowning glory of months, if not years, of hard work. He would never have even entertained the thought of it happening as a result of an old man pointing his hands at him silently for however long this was going to take. Speaking of which...

"Hey Elder," Gohan asked, "How long do you think this is going to take?"

The wrinkled Kai seemed to take a moment to think it through, before shrugging and replying in a bored tone, "Thirty hours, give or take. Maybe more."

Gohan gaped, as did the observing/listening Goku, Kibito, and Shin, though it was the teen who replied, "_Thirty_ **hours**? I don't think the Earth has that kind of time!"

"Well it had better find the time," Elder snapped, "Because you can't rush these things, and once I've started, if I don't see it through to the end your true potential will be locked away where even _I_ can't reach it."

Forcing himself to calm down, Gohan asked, "So dad, what's this plan you've got the kids working on to stop Majin Buu? You think it'll actually work?"

"Of course it'll work," Goku smiled confidently, "The fusion technique is-"

"The Fusion Dance?" Gohan asked, a hint of mirth in his tone. "You're pinning your hopes on that? Kami, I can't believe it actually works..."

Goku shot his son a confused look. "How do you know about the fusion technique Gohan?"

The teen grinned. "Kaen. When I was little, he told me stories of his travels, including one about when he and Pi combined forces through the Fusion Dance to defeat a planet full of violent robots. I mean, I loved listening to them at the time, coz I was eight, but looking back I thought he'd just made some of them up, that one included. You're telling me it's real?"

"Real enough Gohan," Goku grinned back. "Who knows, maybe you'll get to experience it first hand some day."

_-Every step that I take is another mistake to you-  
-(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertow)-_

"Well, that's quite a tail you've spun boy," Avarrdo remarked in his usual standoffish manner. "So you're telling me you have the powers and memories of twenty-four different incarnations of yourself?"

"And what proof do you have for any of this?" Kellre added; it's not that he didn't believe the boy, it's that he didn't believe one of Avarrdo's time-space inventions actually worked.

Kaen sighed. "You mean other than the two-hundred-and-forty years of techniques and memories I can't possibly have?" The older man nodded, a grin on his face. "Well, do any of you remember having this weird dream a while back about feudal times, horses, swords, spears, all that crap?" Everyone nodded. "That was one of the alternate worlds. The one where my dimension hopping alter ego encountered all of you. And by 'encountered', I mean 'killed'."

Avarrdo nodded. "So the mind rationalises the new memories away however it can. In our case, because we knew nothing about the alternate worlds, it was just a dream, while to you, they were scattered memories that had to be pieces together, sorted, before they meant anything."

Kaen nodded. "Yup. I guess, in a way, I can thank Babidi for that; while he was digging for a way to control me, he cut through the jumble of memories and basically sorted them for me. Plus he pretty much stole all the bad ones and used them to create Dark Phoenix. I feel a lot lighter now."

"Then the talk before-" Kellre began.

"-Was, at least partially, because Phoenix was still linked with me," Kaen cut in, before adding with a shrug, "Plus, the loss of memories left a few gaps, that lead to speculations, et cetera." Quickly changing the subject, he asked, "So what's going down on Earth to solve this whole 'Buu' thing?"

"The twins and the boys are training and using the Fusion Dance you taught them so they can defeat the monster once and for all," Kat replied cheerfully.

"The twins?" Kaen asked in a confused tone. "They don't have enough power to defeat Buu."

"Actually," Avarrdo remarked, "They might. You see-"

"No!" Kellre cut in. "You can't tell him!"

"He has a right to know." Avarrdo remarked, completely ignorant about why Kellre was trying to shut him up.

There was a tense silence in the air, as Kaen asked icily, "Have a right to know what, exactly?"

_-I've become so numb I can't feel you there-  
-Become so tired so much more aware-  
-I'm becoming this all I want to do-  
-Is be more like me and be less like you-_

"That's it!" Trunks shouted angrily. "I have had it with your stupid training regime! For months now you've just had me and Goten fighting in our normal forms; what the hell is this meant to teach us? I thought we were meant to get stronger?"

Lime grinned, though it wasn't a mirthful grin. "And it has; you just haven't noticed it, because the two of you are rising at the same rate. And it's only been a month; stop being a baby."

"But what the hell was it 'sposed to teach us?" the lavender-haired child repeated.

"Simple," Oran replied, folding his arms. "It was to teach you endurance. It was to strengthen the instinctual bond you and Goten share, by getting your bodies working in synch. It was to teach you how to think, act, even breath alike. It was to make Gotenks unstoppable. And now it's time to move on to the next lesson."

Trunks growled. "And when were you planning on telling us?"

Before either of the twins could reply, Goten asked, "What's the next lesson?"

The twins grinned, replying together, "You've learnt to fight like each other. Now it's time to test yourself against a true duo, one you can't predict. And you have to do it in your base form."

The boys smirked, also replying in synch, "We have to beat you two? Easy as."

"That a fact?" Lime asked tauntingly. "It's time to show you-"

"-The true depths of our power," Oran finished, clasping his hands before him as though praying. A wave of pure white light expanded out from him, 'wiping away' the pure white terrain to reveal a barren desert wasteland, like Goku and Vegeta first fought on.

"Whoa! That's cool!" Goten cried.

Smirking to themselves, they added, "We're not done yet." Throwing her hands out to either side, waves of fire spiralled down Lime's arms, spinning into a disk-like shape before her palms, then exploding to reveal a pair of eight-point, fiery-red filigree chakram. His right hand glowing with green and orange energy, Oran plunged his hand into the ground up to the elbow through a weird black portal.

Apparently finding what he was looking for, he withdrew his arm again, first revealing a blue-and-gold handle longer than his forearm, and as he kept pulling, he soon revealed that, at the end of the shaft, was a massive black-with-red blade, shaped and attached like an upside-down 'J', with the curve pointed back at the handle. Hefting the massive weapon onto his shoulder as he dropped into stance as Lime absently swung her chakram by the filigree, holding them with just her middle fingers, falling into a loose stance. "Now," they stated firmly, "Bring it!"

_-Can't you see that you're smothering me?-  
-Holding too tightly afraid to lose control-_

"Back on Vegeta-Sei," Avarrdo began, "You, of all people, know about the Wyld zones. About those areas across the planet's surface where raw elemental energy ran rampant, and resisted the forces of change entirely. Volcanoes powered by Fire, forests by Earth, deserts by Wind, lakes by Water, and, rarely, rifts by Shadow."

Kaen rolled his hand irritably, trying to hurry his old man up. "Yeah, I know about the Wyld zones, what's your point? Are you saying the twins copied me and camped out in 'em?"

"No," the elder Saiyan replied, shaking his head, "It's nowhere near that simple." Taking a deep breath, he asked, "Do you remember hearing about The Forbidden Zone?"

Furrowing his brow, he replied, "Uh, you mean that weird crater, where everyone who entered never came back?"

"That's the one," Avarrdo replied with a nod. "You see, we Saiyans had always known that the Wyld radiation caused mutations, but once the King saw the changes the radiation caused in you, and it became clear the mutations could be beneficial, I was tasked with investigating, researching, and cataloguing the Wyld zones."

"Like all of your father's projects, I soon joined in, and together we studied the planetary abnormalities." Kellre added. "We found out exactly why the Forbidden Zone was so dangerous."

Avarrdo picked up where his partner left off. "The Forbidden Zone, as it turned out, was a junction, where not two, not three, but five separate leylines of elemental energy met; one of each. The radiation levels were off the scale."

"Using one of our scouting robots, we found a crystal valley in the centre of the crater," Kellre continued. "The radiation levels those small crystals gave off was greater then any single-element location on the planet; we couldn't safely take it out of the containment unit, but we did glean enough information to replicate the material in a lower radiation form."

"The crystals, both original and cloned, were almost entirely transparent, and yet glowed with a five-colour strobing aura, cycling through red, green, yellow, blue, black." Avarrdo shrugged slightly. "It defied all physical laws, but somehow, the glow did not come from inside the crystals, but purely from outside. We named them fel diamonds."

"Now, obviously, once we had created these replica fel diamonds, we needed to see the effect they had on the Saiyan body, so-"

Kaen opened his mouth, although the correct term would have more been snarled, and was half a heartbeat from tearing into both of them when Avarrdo interrupted, "They volunteered before we could even begin the search. It wasn't even a controlled experiment; they snuck into the lab and stole one each. It was a week before your mother and I discovered they had them."

A confused look on her face, Pi asked, "So the twins gained elemental attunement from the stones?"

Shaking his head, Avarrdo commented, "No, they got something else entirely."

Kellre's face was grim. "Psionics; latent, uncontrolled, but more powerful than we can imagine. They can literally do what they can because they _believe_ they can."

_-Cause everything that you thought I would be-  
-Has fallen apart right in front of you-  
-(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertow)-_

"How..." Trunks breathed, hunched over on his hands and knees, struggling to get his breath back. Goten lay sprawled on the floor next to him, his chest rising and falling as he raggedly drew in precious oxygen. Oran and Lime, however, still stood in their respective stances, though they were panting slightly. Despite the fact that both of the twins were using bladed weapons, neither Goten not Trunks was cut anywhere, though that was purely due to lack of trying. "How can you guys keep going?"

Lime smirked, twirling her chakram. "Because we're not weak like you two."

Trunks shook his head, instantly regretting it when the motion made him dizzy, before replying, "No... There's something... else..." Breath caught, or at least caught enough, he sat up staring at the two of them before stating, "Your power levels are lower than mine or Goten's; you should not be able to outlast us. How can you keep going so long?"

Standing up straight, his giant tomahawk resting against his shoulders, Oran answered, "Our brother has drilled us time and time again on endurance, on outlasting your opponent, and about how the stronger fighter isn't always the one that wins; it's the smarter fighter. We can keep going because we can manage our energy better than you."

What neither Oran nor Lime knew was that this was, in fact, not true. Due to the power of their latent psionics, they could outlast Goten and Trunks because they believed they could. They believed that, thanks to their training with Kaen, they could outlast anyone except Kaen or Pi, and so they could; this was also the reason why they could never outlast either Kaen or Pi, because they believed they couldn't. In truth, they should have collapsed from exhaustion long before now.

"On your feet, both of you!" Lime commanded, and both boys struggled to obey; they'd learnt, in the month prior, that when she said 'jump', if they didn't immediately ask 'how high' she could and would be every bit as violent as Oran. Nodding in satisfaction when they carried out her orders, she barked, "Now, fuse."

"What?" They both cried together, before whining, "But we're tired..."

Throwing their arms out to opposite sides, and launching their weapons in the throw, the twins replied, "The key to getting stronger is finding your boundaries, then pushing past them. Fuse or die; your choice." As they watched Oran and Lime fuse, the boys knew they had no choice, forcing themselves through the motions, and soon, Liran faced off Gotenks. "Right," the twins' synched voices declared, "Let's see what you've got."

The fight, if it could be called that, that followed was decidedly one-sided. Liran sped forward, grabbed Gotenks by the vest, and hurled him into the air. She then proceeded to warp around, punching, kicking, and blasting him faster than he could react, before punting him back down to the ground, the desert terrain shattering like glass on impact and returning to the white room.

"Game over!" Liran shouted, the room fading to black, before lightening again to reveal Gotenks surrounded on all sides by thousands, if not millions, or red blasts simply hovering in midair. As they all started to move inwards, Gotenks quickly threw his hands up, creating a domed energy barrier around him, and the blasts rained down.

It quickly became obvious Gotenks could never be able to last, so he forced himself into his Super Saiyan state, but still that wasn't enough; the shield was wavering, but the rain of blasts looked nowhere near ending. In a desperate last resort, he dug deep, pulling out every scrap of power he could find, and with a roar and a golden explosion, Super Saiyan Three Gotenks stood, for a certain definition of the word, in the now blast free room. As the fused boy passed out, he could vaguely hear Liran clap and comment, "Congratulations."

_-Every step that I take is another mistake to you-  
-(Caught in the undertow just caught in the undertow)-  
-And every second I waste is more than I can take-_

A blanket of horrified silence descended over the Lookout in the wake of Majin Buu's devastating lightshow, in which he reduced the entire population of Earth to the handful on the floating platform. Shock, it seemed, prevented anyone from reacting, even to Buu's repeated, and increasingly angry, demands for them to "Produce." Everyone was frozen in place, their minds unable to comprehend the situation.

All except one. Her eyes twitching, fists clenching with barely repressed rage, a growl worked its way up from Videl's throat. This... Thing, had taken everything from her. First, he had hurt, maybe even killed, the love of her life (though she'd yet to admit that to him); then, he had killed her father, and her friends (albeit, incidentally while killing everyone else on the planet). She knew, deep in the logical part of her mind, that nothing she could do would even scratch a monster like Majin Buu. However, that part was quickly being walled off by her irrational instincts, and those instincts told her to make Buu pay.

Using the skills and techniques her would-be boyfriend taught her, Videl pooled energy into her fists, the pale blue glow bringing a tear to her eye; the sight of it stung her heart, reminding her of Gohan. With a roar of "You godless savage!" she charged towards him, launching a massive (for her, anyway) wave of energy at the pink monster

"Videl! No!" Dende cried in panic, but by then, it was too late; far too late...

A sadistic grin on his face, Buu telescoped his fist towards her, punching straight through her meagre blast. As the killing blow drew nearer, given the lightshow already taking place, no one noticed the faintly perceptible blue glow, before all that remained of Videl was a red smear against the once-pristine white tiles. Tilting his head to one side, Buu recoiled his fist, licking the blood off his knuckles, and stated simply, "Produce. Unless you want someone else to die needlessly."

A gasp of horror rang up from the Z Fighters, seeing one of their own (technically) killed that brutally; Chichi, in true fashion, fainted. Maintaining a white-knuckle grip on his staff, Dende grit his teeth. Piccolo, noticing his second student's emotional state, hissed, "Don't do anything stupid Dende, we need you alive."

Dende, however, would not be dissuaded, growling, "You come onto _my_ planet, slaughter my people, murder my two best friends, one right before my eyes, and **dare** to make demands of me?" His eyes glowing white, Dende thrust his staff in Buu's direction, shouting, "Get off my planet!" A massive, though invisible, wave of energy launched out towards Buu, lifting him up and launching him far out of the planet's atmosphere.

"Damnit," Piccolo muttered, giving the demi-god a chop to the back of the neck, knocking him out cold, before stabbing the gnarled staff through Dende's back and hurling him off the Lookout; the injury would prevent him regenerating, which would, in turn, prevent Buu from finding him. Closing his eyes, he opened his mind; all that remained now was to warn the kids that the time to train was over, and the time to fight was soon.

_-I've become so numb I can't feel you there-  
-Become so tired so much more aware-  
-I'm becoming this all I want to do-  
-Is be more like me and be less like you-_

Death, Videl decided, was a lot less painful than she'd always assumed it would be. 'But then,' she mused to herself, 'He was probably so much more powerful than me I died before I could even realise I'd been hurt...' Opening her eyes, which had flown shut a fraction of a second before Buu's attack landed, she came to the conclusion that the afterlife wasn't what she expected either. 'It looks like a science lab or something...'

Her musing about the oddity that was the futuristic metal environment she found herself in was cut off when something slammed into her; something that revealed itself to be a person, judging by the arms that wrapped around her. "Ooooh, we were so worried about you Videl," a familiar voice announced, "We were afraid we'd mess it up."

"Mess what up?" She asked automatically, before turning her head to examine the speaker; the female, as the voice suggested, almost crushing her in a powerful hug. "Pi? Guess this really is the afterlife then huh? Can't say it looks anything like I expected..." Noticing something, or rather, the lack of something, the human girl asked, "Hey, I thought you got a halo when you died, or is that just something Gohan's dad got?"

Pi blinked, releasing the girl and leaning back, though maintaining a grip on her shoulders. "Videl," she stated calmly, "You're not dead."

Videl shook her head, replying, "Of course I am; there's no way I could've survived Buu's attack. Plus, you're dead, and I'm with you, ipso facto, I'm dead."

Pi raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm not dead either."

"But I saw you die!"

Pi just shrugged. "Just a flesh wound."

"You were blown into atoms!"

"I got better."

Videl stared at her incredulously. "'You got better'? How the blue hell can you 'get better' from being blown into particles?"

"Hell is more of a violet, actually; well, the ground is. The sky's kinda orange," a male voice remarked. Turning her head, she saw Kaen leaning against a nearby wall, his arms crossed, as always. "And to answer your question, I'm the reason she 'got better'; they didn't call me 'Phoenix' for nothing ya know."

Videl blinked again. "But, you're dead too..."

Kaen just slapped his head. "And this, people, is why we should _not_ have had Pi greet her."

Shaking her head, Videl remarked, "Fine, whatever. Where's Gohan?"

Kaen shrugged. "Hell, last I checked."

Her face twisted in confusion. "Wait, Gohan's good. What was he doing in Hell?"

"Fighting me." Short, sharp, and to the point.

Videl's right eye twitched. "Are you deliberately doing this to piss me off?"

The couple grinned, as Kaen replied, "Why, is it working?"

Pi spoke out, "Kaen, stop being an asshole." He opened his mouth, but she cut him off again. "Stop being an asshole to _Videl_."

Nodding slightly, he waved his hand absently around the room, indicating the rest of his extended family, and commenting, "Videl Satan, welcome aboard the Icebreaker."

_-And I know!-  
-I may end up failing too!-  
-But I know!-  
-You were just like me with someone disappointed in you!-_

"Nine hundred ninety-eight, nine hundred ninety-nine, one thousand." Lowering his other hand to the floor, Oran eased himself out of the one-handed push-ups he'd been doing, leaning up to sit on his heels. Rolling his arms and shoulders, he called out, "Okay guys, that's it. We've done everything we can. Now, I want you to get a good meal into you, and rest up; Majin Buu's gonna be here tomorrow."

It was finally time. The fated battle was on the horizon, and the time to train was past. Piccolo had contacted them psychically to inform them that, in an hour at best, Majin Buu would be arriving at the door to the chamber; that was just under a fortnight ago to them, so the boy assumed they had, at best, one day left until show time.

Walking over to her brother, and offering him a hand to help him up, Lime asked, "Bro, can I ask you a question?" He nodded, accepting the hand up, and waiting for her to ask him her question. Judging by the way she kept glancing over at Trunks, he could work out what the question was going to be, but she seemed to chicken out at the last second, asking, "Do you think it's enough? Do you think we'll be able to stop Buu?"

They had come a long way in a short period of time. Gotenks could now hold Super Saiyan Three for a good while, though he seemed to have skipped level two entirely, and Goten and Trunks themselves were nearing the border for the second level; with another few months training, they may have made it. Liran could reach Super Saiyan levels one and two, yet, strangely, Oran and Lime themselves still could not transform, though their base form maximum was comparable to Goten and Trunks' base Super Saiyan forms.

This in mind, Oran nodded, replying, "Yeah, I do. But if nothing else, we'll be able to stall him long enough for Kaen to show up." Even now - especially now - his belief in his brother was strong. Glancing over at Trunks, Oran gently nudged his sister forward, stating, "Go to him." She shot her brother a panicked and questioning look, and he answered her unasked queries. "Do I approve? No. Do I want you to be happy? Yes. We don't have time for regrets, so follow your heart, and go to him."

Taking a deep, calming breath, she steeled herself, walking over to the boys and asking, "Trunks, can we talk?" When the haired-haired child nodded, she grabbed his arm and all but dragged him away. Fidgeting nervously, she stammered, "Uh, Trunks... Well, with this, uh, fight, we, um... Might not make it... And I wouldn't want to, uh, pass on, without telling you... Uh... So here we are, and um... What I'm trying to say is, I l..." She trailed off, her words leaving her in a rush.

"You what?" Trunks asked curiously, placing one hand on her shoulder. "You can't just drag me over here and then leave me in suspense. You w-"

He cut off as she acted. Leaning forward, she aimed to kiss the boy, but at the last minute, she chickened out once more, pressing her lips onto his cheek, before blushing brightly; a state Trunks soon joined her in. Scuffing her shoe against the floor, she said bashfully, "Don't die out there. When this is all over, well, we'll see... where this goes, okay?"

Nodding once, Trunks just watched her walk off, a vacant expression on his face. He ignored Oran calling his sister 'Chicken', as well as Goten's singsong voice repeating 'Trunks has got a girlfriend'. A smile coming to his face, Trunks strode into the living area; he had a fight to win.

_-I've become so numb I can't feel you there-  
-Become so tired so much more aware-  
-I'm becoming this all I want to do-  
-Is be more like me and be less like you-_

To say that Buu looked angry when he arrived back on the Lookout would be to say that the surface of the sun was how, or the oceans wet; the pink monster looked absolutely livid, demanding to know where 'the short green one' was. Piccolo, however, remained perfectly calm, telling the demon that Dende had been 'dealt with', and with him gone, Piccolo himself was the only one who knew where 'the fighter' was.

From their hiding spot inside the palace, the Z Fighters watched as the ever-calm Piccolo slowly walked, via the side entrance of the palace, towards the door to the Room of Spirit and Time - taking the long way - with a barely contained Majin Buu following behind him. Buu, clearly, was itching to blast Piccolo's head off, but at the same time, believed that without Piccolo, he'd never get the challenging fight he craved.

"Should we do anything?" Yamcha asked quietly.

"Like what Yamcha?" Bulma hissed back.

The former martial artist cum baseball player shrugged. "Slow him down?"

Chichi nodded, picking up a nearby lamp. "I'm not going to let that monster get to my baby!"

"Wait Chichi!" Krillin declared, glad Buu was now out of earshot. "What about Goten? Would he want you throwing your life away?"

"He's right Chi," Bulma replied. "What we need to do is get away from here as fast as we can, and maybe-" Before she could finish her sentence, the entire group disappeared in a blue shimmer.

_-I've become so numb I can't feel you there-  
-(I'm tired of being what you want me to be)-_

"This is it?" Buu asked, indicating the plain wooden door Piccolo had stopped beside.

"This is it," Piccolo confirmed with a nod. "Behind this door is the fighter you have been waiting for."

With a scowl, Majin Buu undid the latch, swinging the door open and striding in. With the tiniest of grins, Piccolo followed him in, closing the door behind him. If all else failed, Piccolo was more than prepared to destroy the entrance, sealing everyone inside; if the kids wouldn't win, he would ensure they didn't lose.

Walking into the garish white room, passed the curtains blocking off the sleeping area, and down the short flight of stairs to the off-white floor, Majin Buu saw four children standing before him, their backs to him. A grin came to his face; he recognised these children. The two on the right were Goten and Trunks; the others, the two who blasted him. As they turned around, he asked mockingly, "So, which one of you is going to fight me? Where is the great fighter I was promised?"

"Right here!" The boys intoned together.

"And fortunately for you," the twins added, "This one's a twofer."

Four simultaneous cries of "FU-SION-HA!" rang out across the white terrain, and a pair of flashed of light erupted suddenly, before dying down to reveal two children where four had once stood.

"I'm Liran," the girl remarked.

Pointing towards himself with one thumb, the boy added, "Name's Gotenks."

"And together," the pair finished, "We're taking you down!"

_-I've become so numb I can't feel you there-  
-(I'm tired of being what you want me to be)-_

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Author's notes:

And so Book 2 draws to a close. Stay tuned for Book 3: Endurance.

Gah, that took _forever _to get done... But it's finally out. Chapter 40. However, as much as I hate to be the bearer of bad news, it has to be said.

I'm taking a short break from the story. As evidenced by the fact it's taken me two weeks to get this update out, I am reaching the point of no return, and if I press myself any harder, I'm going to burn out. My life has been so hectic recently, and I just haven't had the chance to write anywhere near as much as I needed to.

I'm not abandoning this story; I've put far too much time and effort into this to not see it through to the end. However, I feel I need to take some time off, to write without the pressure of weekly updates, so I can rebuild my chapter buffer. With the exception of maybe 5 chapters, the entirety of the next book is going to be fight scenes, which take time to get right.

As it currently stands, I plan on taking up to a month off, before returning to a weekly update schedule. Depending on the state of my life, this may be extended or shortened as my discretion, and updates may have to be more sporadic, i.e. posted whenever I finish them rather than every Sunday. But we'll see how things go...

And to everyone who gets the urge to complain about my little break, this is for you: I have keep weekly updates for 38 weeks on this story, and bi-weekly updates every week for the story before it. Once you can say the same, and back it up with hard proof, _then _you can berate me for needing some time off.

Until then, ja ne.


	41. E01: This Moment

--- Disturbance, Book 3: Endurance ---

Chapter E01 - This Moment

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_-You will remember this moment as you dig into me-  
__-And from your smile now it seems as if you liked it-_

In a location between time and space, in a realm that by all regards should not exist, blew a breeze that could not possibly have blown. The breeze swept through the barren white wastelands, picking up near invisible dust particles off the shimmering ground, before whipping around the four figures by the massive palace in the 'centre'. Standing to one side was Piccolo, keeping an eye on proceedings while staying out of range, his cape flapping in the improbable breeze.

Standing before him was Majin Buu in all his glory, smirking eagerly at the two before him, cracking his head from side to side as he asked, "So, who's first?"

No reply was forthcoming. To Majin Buu's left stood the imposing - for her size - form of Liran, the five distinctive spikes of her hair wavering slightly as she glared at the pink bubblegum monster that had driven her (their?) brother to suicide (or the brink thereof), after having killed her eldest sister, if not by blood. Her ponytail swung back and forth as she folded her arms, waiting for Buu to act.

To the monster's right stood Gotenks. Though his odd black-and-purple hair was more resilient to the wind, the spikes on the edges swayed in the wind, as he smirked confidently, if cheekily, back at Majin Buu. Gotenks, it would seem, had Vegeta's arrogance, Goku's confidence, and their shared love of battle, making him a perfect combination of his halves' respective fathers. Gotenks, it would seem, had already declared himself the winner, though the fight had yet to begin.

That would shortly change. Growling in irritation at the lack of response he got, Majin Buu lunged for what he perceived as the weakest target: Liran. Screaming, "Fight me!" he drew back his fist with every intention to shatter the girl's skull, but she calmly flipped backwards, vaulting off her hands and leaping over the follow-up strike. She continued to flip backwards over his wild swings until, after vaulting off her hands, she charged a minor blast and launched it at near point blank range. It didn't do much damage, if any, but it stunned Majin Buu for just long enough for Gotenks to slam-kick the monster in the head.

The fight was on.

_-You'd better cherish this moment as you dig into me-  
__-You'll never get another chance at this-_

The scuffle that followed was brief, and did little save to anger Majin Buu even further; at this level, not even the combined strength of Goten and Trunks could so much as scratch the monster. "You little insect!" Buu growled, his head-tentacle stretching to lash the boy around the ankle, hurling him across the white expanse. "Stay out of this!"

A grin on her face as he flipped backwards to land on his feet, charging ki in his hands and unleashing a volley of attacks; again, they'd do little more than annoy the beast, but if their training had taught them nothing else, an angry opponent was a sloppy opponent. "Oh come on!" The fused boy taunted, "You don't seriously expect to fight us one-on-one do you?"

A matching grin on her face, Liran took tot he air, weaving between the stream of blasts and flaring her aura, charging her fists with ki, before slamming Buu full force. "We play to win!" The girl declared, chasing the stunned monster.

"Don't play games with me!" Growling again, Buu grabbed the girl, hurling her back the way she came so that she crashed into Gotenks. The result was a humorous, if embarrassing, position for the both of them, with the fused girl sprawled prone over the boy.

Quickly shaking the cobwebs away, Liran opened her eyes to find herself staring into the face of the newly recovered Gotenks, and immediately blushed; the male Oran may have made up half of Liran's memories, but her personality was all her own, and it was inherently female. As the boy's eyes widened, it was on instinct alone that she dived to the side, Gotenks rolling to the other side as the foot of Majin Buu slammed into the ground where the two of them had been lying.

Quickly clambering to her feet, Liran dropped into her fighting stance, growling, "Right, I guess the warm-up's over."

Regaining his footing on the opposite side, Gotenks fell into his own stance, igniting his aura and remarking, "Time to kick it up a notch then." With a rising shout, the two kids flared into Super Saiyan, leaping towards the monster with a cry of, "Let's dance!"

_-I won't stand another minute of your questioning me-  
__-You hear me, bitch, now the interrogations over-_

"Where the hell are we?" It was a simple question the former-fighter-turned-baseball-player asked, and one would think it deserved a simple answer, but none was forthcoming. The group of friends had, up until a matter of minutes ago, hiding in the palace atop the Lookout, contemplating what, if anything, they could do to assist the kids in their preparations to stop Majin Buu, when all of a sudden, they were not there any more, but here; wherever 'here' was.

The proverbial light bulb clicking on above her head, Bulma replied, "I know where we are! It's-"

"Videl!" Chichi cried, cutting the older woman off as she raced towards the young woman she'd spotted approaching them, grabbing her into the patented 'Chichi Mother Bear (tm) Hug' and squeezing the life out of her. Setting the girl down on the ground again and casting her mother's eye over her, she asked worriedly, "Are you okay? What happened?"

"As I was trying to say Chi," Bulma commented exasperatedly, "We're on the Icebreaker."

"Videl?" Krillin asked confusedly, "But how did you get here? We saw you get splattered."

The girl shrugged. "I've been trying to figure that out myself, actually."

"It's quite simple." An authoritative male voice remarked. "We merely teleported young Videl onto our ship, while replacing her with a blood splatter body double, such that when Majin Buu struck where Videl was prior to her teleportation, not only would a solid object be struck, but one that simulated her death."

Smiling towards the speaker, Bulma commented, "Wow, that was really clever Kellre."

The Saiyan in question smirked, replying back, "Would you expect any less?"

_-I can't handle the feeling of your pestering me-  
__-How would you like to meet my favourite fist?-_

'This isn't going well...' Liran mused to herself, as Majin Buu once again batted her away like an insignificant insect. Her attacks just weren't strong enough to hurt the monster; hell, she couldn't even make it flinch! Kaen would be so ashamed of her if he were alive (here) to see her. Even Gotenks, just in the base Super Saiyan form, was doing enough damage, though not lasting, to make the monster react.

She might as well have not been there, for all the affect she was having. She'd never felt so helpless before, neither as herself, nor as Oran and Lime.

Falling back to stand beside her, keeping his eyes on Buu, Gotenks commented dryly, "This isn't working. We're just not doing any lasting damage."

"I don't think I'm doing any damage at all..." The girl remarked bitterly. "I'm just not strong enough in this form to even scratch him."

Were he completely honest, Gotenks would be forced to admit he'd noticed that too, but he wasn't going to make any mention of that; one Saiyan never insults another's pride if it can be avoided. "So what are we gonna do?" The boy asked. "Are we gonna take it to the next level, or have you got some other trick up your sleeve?"

An idea occurring to her, Liran grinned, replying, "Option B. Just keep ugly there busy a sec while I do this; I've never really tried it before."

Gotenks grinned back, replying, "Can do boss lady," before launching off towards Buu again.

_-No you can't renege; I'd love to see you beg-_

Liran closed her eyes, focusing on the power she could feel inside her. She remembered, as Oran and Lime, the words of encouragement her (their) brother had given, the gentle, and not-so-gentle, shoves towards the greatness she (they) saw in him. She could remember the look on his face when he first started training them three or four months ago, when he told them they were too weak to train with him.

When he told them he was ashamed of them.

That single moment was one of the most defining moments in their young life. For nine years, they had seen their brother as their idol, the paragon of everything it meant to be a Saiyan. When he'd disappeared, they had taken it upon themselves to train, knowing he would return, and determined to be ready for him when he did, but they had failed his first test.

Since that day, they had vowed never to fail him again. They would make him proud. When he had given them those video games 'to train their mind' they knew he was testing them. And this time, they would pass his test.

_-Dream this moment as you run away-_

Her power reaching critical mass, she leapt into the air slightly, drawing in her legs and wrapping her arms around them, curling up into a ball in mid air. A sphere of light expanded out to surround her, before scattering outwards like glass, and she touched ground again, her eyes sliding open.

She had changed

Her five-point hair was now pulled back, her hair straightened, with her ponytail still trailing down her back. This, however, was not nearly as noticeable as the massive scar that now adorned her left cheek. All colours on her clothing had now changed to a shade of blue, her vest now having royal blue trim, with a light blue undershirt and pants, with deep blue sash and wristbands.

_-You will only separate me from all I believe-_

The two combatants, Buu and Gotenks, paused as they registered the flash to examine the changes, and it was Buu that commented, "You just changed your clothes; what difference could that possibly make?"

Liran grinned, holding her hands out to either side as though she were grasping something, as blue energy swirled around her wrists. With a pale blue flash, and the sound of snap-freezing ice, a pair of odd weapons appeared in her hands. The handle she grasped were close in shape to a quarter circle, with the curved part wrapping around the front of her hand, which trailed up to the centre of a circle which made up the centre of the main part of the weapon.

Said main part was shaped like a four-pointed star, only with a circle in the centre of it, and the points being different sizes. The 'top' point trailed back partway over her wrist, the 'side' points were both fairly short, while the 'bottom' point trailed at least a foot long, if not a bit longer. Grinning at the pink monster, she flicked her wrists, making sure he noticed as half a dozen pale blue spikes erupted from the guard, before she raised the weapons to point them at him.

_-This moment in brutality-_

She held a pair of guns, which was never more obvious than when she replied, "Cover fire." Without a moment's hesitation, she pulled the triggers on both weapons, one after the other, a hidden, seventh shard firing out of the main weapon and screaming towards the two fighters. Quickly diving out of the way lest he be hit, Gotenks spun around to watch the monster's reaction.

Confident in his power, Majin Buu didn't even consider moving out of the way. However, as the pale blue points ripped clear through his pink bubblegum body, a bellow of pain was wrenched from his throat, and the threat capability of the girl's weapons was instantly escalated.

That had hurt. A lot.

_-You're the one who on kept on pushing 'til I made you bleed-_

Quite simply, Liran's weapons were constructed purely from her will, though she was unaware of this, making them, and the damage they caused, not actually ki-based, but psionic-based. These made them a very real danger to Majin Buu, because although they too could cause no real lasting damage to a body that could regenerate from being blown into atoms, they _could_ do damage to the magicks holding said body together.

That, and having psionic energy tearing through your magic-based body hurt kinda like having a red-hot knife stabbed through a socket joint like your shoulder might.

Blinking at the revelation, Gotenks remarked, "Well, that was effective."

"That hurt..." Buu muttered, sounding as though he were amazed that something had actually hurt him. That amazement quickly turned to anger, the monster shouting, "You impudent brat! You actually hurt me!"

The shards sliding upwards, the 'top' one loading into the gun automatically, Liran kept her aim at the pink monster, shouting back, "There's plenty more whoop-ass left in the can especially for you, you pink shit!" In truth, Liran was just as surprised that her guns were so effective, but hey, gift horse, mouth, all that jazz.

With a roar of anger, Majin Buu charged towards Liran, hoping to reach the girl before she could fire again, but was intercepted by Gotenks again, howling in pain once more as two more shards tore through his body. The monster grit his teeth; this was swiftly getting annoying.

_-It seems your pride has been stolen since you stood up to me-  
__-I'll tell you now you know I think I really like it-_

"Gohan's alive?! Where is he?"

"Other world."

"You mean he's dead?"

"No, he's alive."

"He's alive?! Where is he?"

Kaen groaned in frustration at having to deal with the woman. In her hysterical state, she seemed to have the memory of a goldfish, and the conversation kept cycling around. The first time it had happened, it was funny. The second time, irritating, but still comical. However, after four loops, he was really getting sick of it. His tail lashing around behind him, he barked, "Shut up and listen woman! Gohan is alive. He is in Other World. Both of these facts are true."

Before Chichi could cycle once more, Bulma interrupted with, "What is Gohan doing in the Other World if he's still alive?"

'Thank you!' The frustrated Saiyan thought to himself, glad the voice of reason had finally had a chance to speak. "From what he told me, that bastard Kai Shin practically kidnapped him and took him to his home world for some kind of special training."

Blinking, Krillin asked, "But, if you're not dead, how could Gohan have told you anything?"

Kaen flinched slightly, before replying, "That's a much longer story, and quite frankly, none of your business. All you need to know is that I saw Gohan, he's fine, and he's training to destroy Buu."

_-So learn a lesson from someone who will never repeat-  
__-The many tragic mistakes of his past-_

"Hey Kaen," Videl asked curiously, "How _did_ you manage to survive anyway? I mean, I'll be the first to admit I don't know much about this ki stuff, but that was one hell of a blast-" She paused as he grinned and replied 'Thank you'. "-so how the hell did firing it not kill you? Heck, how did _charging_ it not kill you?"

"Tenacity." He shrugged. "Quite literally, I was too stubborn to let myself do any less. I mean, a lot of this stuff is purely psychological; if you believe there's no chance you can survive, there won't be, but if you believe there is strong enough, you just might find the way. In a very real sense, my body held out long enough to fire the blast because I would not let it do otherwise."

"But you're better now right?" Krillin asked almost excitedly, "You're strong enough to kill Buu right should the kids fail?"

He grimaced. "Not really, no. I'm still recovering from hitting the third level so soon after the second. Hell, I'm not even sure if I could take it to the third level again period, let alone without nearly killing myself again, and believe me when I tell you, massive internal organ failure is not a pleasant experience by any stretch of the imagination. Plus I still don't know why a blast that size didn't erase Buu from existence completely, taking... special situations into consideration." He didn't exactly feel like telling them just _how_ he had managed to bring Pi back from the other side.

"Actually, we had a bit of a theory on that," Videl commented almost excitedly; after all, it had originally been her theory, and the others had accepted it without issue. "We suspected that, since you were taken over by Babidi's magic, either that somehow stopped you being able to kill Buu, or just simply proved that you couldn't."

**"That would mean you were still considered 'evil' when you 'killed' Buu,"** Pi commented, to the muttering of the old men in the back. **"But we literally killed the evil inside you, so how-"**

**"We were still linked,"** Kaen grimaced, **"Meaning his evil stain was still on me when I made that attack."**

**"The fact you were using Hellfire wouldn't have helped either,"** Kellre pointed out.

Nodding once, Kaen commented, "Your theory... has merit. Unfortunately, if it's true, then there's a chance that, even now, even if I could reach that pinnacle of strength again, I may still not be able to destroy him..."

_-I hope you savour this moment as you're still on your feet-  
__-So keep it quiet now I think you're gonna like it-_

The girl had a weakness. It had taken several minutes of taking and dodging those painful shards for him to find it, but she had a weakness. Every fourteen shots, she needed to pause and wait for the guns to reload. He counted down the shots now, knowing that soon, she would be wide open for retaliation, and he would make her pay for all the pain she caused him.

That moment came very soon, as the girl muttered annoyedly, "Ugh, gotta reload." Why she was announcing it he didn't know, but he took full advantage, batting Gotenks aside and tear-assing towards her at high speed, fist drawn back to take her head clean off her shoulders. What he didn't expect was for her to suddenly launch a green arrow four times the size of one of those shards at him, which tore through him painfully, then teleport to the end of it's trajectory and bat it back at him.

Smirking to herself, Liran continued to warp around the room, batting the Green Dragon, as she called it, back towards Buu until the energy eventually faded, then resumed shooting him as normal. As Goten intercepted Buu again, and she resumed shooting, she quickly realised that she didn't have that much longer left in this form before she would 'revert', so she had one final ace up her sleeve.

_"Let him get through,"_ Liran instructed telepathically, to Gotenks' surprise. _"I've got one final move in store for him. Let him through."_

Letting Majin Buu 'slip past him', Gotenks turned to watch what the girl did, gasping in amazement as the room itself seemed to shift, leaving Majin Buu atop a tiny square platform, with nothing else around, and Liran nowhere to be seen.

Without warning, the girl suddenly appeared in the centre of the platform, glowing white, and, to Buu's amazement, totally impervious to harm. With a shout of "Let's see how you handle this!" she spun around on the spot, firing wildly around her from a seemingly endless supply of ammo; strangely, Gotenks noticed, the bullets seemed to strike invisible walls a few feet away from the 'platform' Buu stood on, so obviously she'd boxed the monster in.

Warping out from the centre, she started randomly appearing in a walk around the platform, peppering the trapped monster with bullets at seemingly random intervals, before, having completed a full circle, she warped back to the centre of the platform, though now about ten feet above it, and started firing into weird white and black swirling portals. In response, a mass of portals opened in the 'sky' around Buu, maybe ten or more, and the swarm of shards fired seemingly randomly out of one of those portals, arcing around the platform and tearing chunks out of the pink bubblegum monster.

_-Words have their consequences when they're spoken to me-  
__-Better be careful when you're writing checks-_

As the attack faded, and Buu's 'room' faded back to the normal off-white of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Liran warped in slightly behind Gotenks, panting slightly as her new form seemed to splinter into fragments of light, leaving her back in her original outfit again. "Man that takes a lot out of you..." she breathed tiredly, a grin on her face as she watched the steam venting from the slowly healing Majin Buu. "Worth it though."

For the second time they could see, Majin Buu's ki level had dropped; the first being after Kaen had blown the monster to atoms. Granted, with him currently doing his steam vent power-up as he healed himself, a lot of his lost strength was coming back, but slower than it used to.

"Certainly was effective," Gotenks commented borderline jealously. "Can you do that again?"

"That particular form?" The girl asked, shaking her head, "Nah, he'll be expecting that." Grinning again, she added, "Once I get my strength back though, I've got yet more tricks left."

"We don't have time for you to take a break," Gotenks remarked, though it was more a worried tone than an angry or irritated one. Charging a baseball-sized ball of ki, as concentrated as possible, he held it out to the girl, stating, "Here. This should charge you up."

Taking the ki ball, Liran gasped slightly as her body automatically absorbed it, and felt her energy return; not all of it, but it was enough for what she wanted to do.

_-Don't you question how I stand above you now-_

Growling as he watched the demon girl begin to glow with a pale orange energy, Majin Buu leapt towards her, not even looking at the approaching Gotenks, just swatting the boy aside like an annoying insect; he was _not_ going to give the girl a chance to do that again! He almost paused as the girl leapt into the air and curled up again, being surrounded by a sphere of white light again, but he knew the girl had to be at range to truly hurt him, and he wasn't going to give her that chance.

Spinning around to land on his feet, Gotenks quickly blasted off after Buu, hoping, praying, he could give Liran the time she needed for her latest trick, but he needn't have bothered; she already had all the time and space she needed.

The sphere of light exploded outwards before Buu could get within three feet of her, the light dying down to reveal the girl as she gently landed back on the ground with a pair of soft taps. She'd changed once again, into something new.

_-Dream this moment as you run away-_

Like before, her clothes had changed colour, though this time instead of blue, everything was a shade of red, in similar tones; light red for the undershirt and baggy pants, deep red for the trimmings. That sort of change all parties concerned were expecting, given the previous transformation. What was new, however, was Liran herself.

Her face looked more feminine than it had before, and the massive scar was nowhere to be seen. Instead, two small, red lines sat on either side of her nose, like tiny arrows pointing down from her eyes. The biggest, and most noticeable, difference was her hair, formerly so organised, now stuck out wildly in every direction, kind of resembling her older brother's hairstyle, only coming down past her shoulders.

She smirked at the fast approaching Buu; the stupid creature had no idea what he was walking into.

_-You will only separate me from all I believe-_

She held her hairs out to either side, waves of flame spiralling down her arms before pooling in her hands and exploding outwards to reveal a pair of eight-point filigree chakram; the same pair wielded by Lime during the kids' training sessions. Clutching them tightly as Buu drew ever nearer, she fell into a fighting stance, waiting until the last second before ducking under Buu's attack and swinging her arm up.

The fiery chakram tore through Buu's body, carving a gash clear halfway around his body, before the girl spun around and hurled the other towards his back, the weapon digging deep into his mockery of flesh, imbedding itself in the gum-like material; needless to say, this was extremely painful. As Buu howled in pain and reached to pull the weapon out, Liran quickly turned to Gotenks with his next instructions: _"Cover me from a distance. On my mark, bind him."_

_-This moment in brutality-_

Raising her hand, she called her weapon back to her, leaping at Buu while it was still airborne, and proceeding to slice the hell out of him. She knew he'd take to the air if given a moment's rest, to avoid her continued barrage, so she deliberately gave him that moment; true to her brother's design, playing video games had taught her tactics, and she employed them to great effect.

As Majin Buu took to the sky, Liran shouted mentally, _"Now! While he's weak!"_

"Galactic Donut!" Raising one hand over his head, a single finger extended, Gotenks drew a circle above him, focusing ki as he did to form a ki band. Hurling it at Buu like he was playing the ring toss, he clenched his fists and held them in front of him, still spaced a distance apart, as the ring settled around Buu's midsection; it was so much wider than him it looked like a hula hoop. With a grin, Gotenks opened and closed his hands rapidly, the ring suddenly splitting into three, one just below his shoulders, and one near his ankles, before slamming his fists together, and the rings shrunk down, binding Buu tight.

_-You're the one who on kept on pushing 'til I made you bleed-_

With a smirk, Liran shouted, "Let's turn up the heat!" and stomped her foot, causing walls of flame to erupt from the ground on all sides around Buu; even the ground and 'sky' themselves became covered by fire. Leaping backwards into the flame, Liran darted around in a circle, stopping at random to throw her chakram at, and through, Majin Buu; at the rate they were spinning, they were the equivalent of a buzz saw heated red-hot.

Buu growled like a caged animal as he struggled to free himself. Irritatingly, he could heal just fast enough to avoid being sliced to ribbons, but not fast enough to be able to gather enough strength to muscle out of these ki bonds. But this Buu was smart. This Buu could plan.

He let himself get injured, consciously not healing away his injuries, as he pooled his energy. With a roar of "Enough is enough!" he let the collected energy reach critical mass, exploding in a violent wave of pink light that completely obliterated the ki bonds, and wiped away the flame walls, sending Liran crashing into the ground.

Buu grinned; he had the girl right where he wanted her.

_-Now you know the answer-  
__-Save yourself from danger-_

Liran was in trouble, and she knew it. Gotenks was too far away to help her, and even if he wasn't, the residual light and energy from the explosion would have made it near impossible to find her. She knew it was only a matter of seconds before Buu was all over her, and for all the pain she'd caused him, she knew there'd be no mercy; he could rip her to pieces before Gotenks even knew she was in trouble.

Which meant it was her responsibility to drag her ass out of the hole she'd dug herself.

Her current form would never be able to withstand a full assault from the enraged Majin Buu, and she didn't have enough time, or energy, to revert to her base form, then switch from there into one that could, so she did something dangerous. Something that would, if it failed, result in her death, either directly, or indirectly from being left wide open for the attack she knew was coming.

She switched forms _from_ a form.

_-I cannot forget how-  
__-All of this began-_

There was a brief, familiar flash of light, before the girl disappeared in a shower of sparks, leaving a disoriented Majin Buu to slam his fist into the off-white floor. A second shower of sparks heralded the girl's return, changed once more. Now, everything was a shade of yellow, her body was more lithe, and looked more like Lime's natural form than Liran's. Her hair was perfectly straight, and cut short to just behind her head, save for two antennae-like locks protruding backwards from a few inches above her eyes.

Buu growled in annoyance, straightening up as he commented, "You are very annoying girl. How many forms do you have anyway?"

The girl just grinned at him, giggling and replying, "Enough. But don't worry, you'll be long dead before I use all of them." Closing her fists, the grin slipped from her face, as four yellow daggers seemed to sprout from between her finders of each hand, almost like claws. Her voice lost its previously playful tone as she stated, "It's time to show you what we're truly capable of. Gotenks? We give no quarter. Hold nothing back."

_-I know you know the answers-  
__-Save yourself from danger-_

"Alright!" The boy cheered, taking a deep breath, before exhaling what appeared, at first glance, to be an opaque white cloud. However, that cloud quickly reshaped itself, forming a torso, arms, and head to match its creator. Pointing towards Majin Buu, Gotenks shouted, "Super Ghost Kamikaze, Attack!" With an excited whoop, the ghost, as Gotenks' called it, sped towards Buu, and, acting on instinct, the monster struck it.

This turned out to be a mistake. The second the ghost came in contact with the solid substance that was Buu's body, it grinned and exploded, launching the monster to crash painfully into the ground. Before the monster could recover, Liran was all over him, slashing his imitation flesh with her daggers, and launching wave after wave of lightning bolts as she attacked.

Growling, Buu lashed out at the girl, grinning as he felt his fist strike something solid, but the grin fell when that wasn't followed by the satisfying sound of the girl hitting the ground, he was instead greeted by a pair of lightning bolts to the face. From two different directions.

_-Beaten by a stranger-  
__-Blood still on his hands-_

Standing up, he saw one Liran standing northeast of him (assuming north was directly in front of him), and then another to the northwest; Gotenks, he noticed, was directly behind him. He may not have exactly been a genius, but the mass of intellect he had absorbed from the countless thousands of people he had eaten had given him a cunning many people underestimated; that had proven to be their downfall.

'She can't possibly be both of them. One of them must be an illusion,' he concluded, studying the two girls. For whatever reason, he had disregarded his confrontation with the second long-haired man, the one that smelled similar to this girl, as a one-time fluke; after all, the odds of two of these Earthlings being able to do that? Decision made, he powered up and blasted towards one of them, and though she ducked his strike, he smirked slightly as he felt her yellow blades pierce his flesh; this one was real.

That smirk lasted until he felt another four daggers rip into the exposed flesh of his back. Spinning in the direction they'd come from, he noticed the other girl too had only one handful of daggers, the others clearly the ones that had struck him; that meant she, too, was real. Which meant his original assumption was wrong. The girl's grinned, clenching their empty hand and spawning new handfuls of daggers, which distracted him long enough to cop another Kamikaze Ghost to the back

Buu growled to himself. He was going to destroy these kids if it was the last thing he did.

_-Dream this moment as you run away-_

Piccolo smirked to himself as he watched Majin Buu getting the crap kicked out of him by the two (well, three, but technically only two) children. For the first time, he felt truly confident that maybe, just maybe, they'd be able to win this thing; unless he miscalculated, the kids still had ten to fifteen minutes of fusion time left, which should've been plenty of time.

What he didn't count on, however, was a stray blast that neither Liran, nor Trunks, were prepared to block.

Diving out of the way, he watched in horror as the powerful pink blast obliterated the palace, destroying the doorway and forever sealing them inside the Room of Spirit and Time, trapping them in the pocket dimension. The green-skinned man wasn't the only one to notice either, as the fight drew to a halt, both kids having noticed.

It was Liran who actually spoke though, shouting, "You fucking idiot! Do you have any idea what you've done?" When Buu just stared at her blankly, curious as to why the fight had stopped, she yelled, "You destroyed the door! Without that, we're stuck in this place! FOREVER!"

_-You will only separate me from all I believe-_

"Forever?" Buu echoed. "You mean, no more candy?"

"That's right Majin Buu, unless you eat the three of us, there will be no more candy," Piccolo replied grimly; sure, he may have been prepared to destroy the doorway if they were losing, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

"Damnit!" Gotenks cried, kicking over one of the giant, now-half-destroyed, hourglasses. "This fucking sucks! Trapped in this wasteland forever without a scrap of food!"

"Ugh, tell me about it," Liran griped, powering out of her yellow-clothed form and back to normal. "Kill me now. At least then this punishment will end."

"No candy?" Buu parroted again, before screaming, "I can't live without CANDY!" His scream echoed throughout the cavernous room, making all bar Buu himself clutch their ears to try and drown it out. Not even the room itself could withstand the scream, it seemed, when a fairly small circle appeared, like a window to back on the Lookout. Poking it curiously as the other three recovered, he quickly realised what it was as it began to shrink, liquefying and pouring himself through it.

"NO!" The other three shouted, mere seconds before Liran disappeared in a burst of fire, and, seconds later, the portal was closed, trapping everyone else behind.

_-This moment in brutality-_

Majin Buu flowed out of the hole, spilling into a pile on the tiled floor, before quickly reforming into his evil self. Grinning darkly, and rubbing his stomach, he began to look around eagerly; he knew there should still be some people left in this place, and they would make a tasty treat. He was distracted, however, by a brief flare of fire, which died down to reveal Liran, looking just as confused as he felt. Muttering irritably, he commented, "You just don't give up do you?"

Quickly shaking off her stupor, she dropped into a fighting stance, grinning at him. "Nope." Her grin hardened into a glare. "I'm not going to rest until you have been made to pay for what you did to my brother and sister!"

"And how are you going to do that?" Buu smirked back. "Without that boy to back you up, I am going to beat you to within an inch of your life. And then, I'm going to eat you."

A battle smirk slipped across her face as Liran began to power up, reaching, then passing, the maximum she displayed in the Room of Spirit and Time. "I think you'll find I'm no easy meal," the girl replied coldly. "It's time to show you what I'm truly made of. And this time, no amount of regeneration will save you."

"We'll see little girl," Buu gloated. "We'll see."

Round Two had begun.

_-You're the one who on kept on pushing 'til I made you bleed-_

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Author's notes:

I have no idea if the lyrics are exactly right, as I found no less that four different versions of them.

Well, I'm back! -insert fanfare here- Well... kinda. I'm not returning to the weekly update schedule I had before, as, despite taking close to four months off instead of the one month I originally mentioned, this chapter is the first one I've managed to complete, and I finished it a mere ten minutes before posting it. See, when I took that break, the pressure of writing, having a social life, and doing my other recreational activities left me with little time to write. To make things worse, about two months ago, I got a job. My first ever full-time paid employment. I now bring in about three grand a month. Needless to say, settling in there ate into all other activities.

However, there is good news on the horizon. Working gives me a good opportunity to write, during slow periods or lunch breaks. In fact, though it took me close to three months to start this chapter, it's taken me somewhere between one week and two to finish it. I always knew that once I got started, I'd probably steamroll like a snowball rolling down a hill, getting bigger, and faster, quickly. While I can't promise a schedule, I _can_ promise that the story will be finished by the end of this year.

On a side note, this chapter did not go through beta testing, so there may be errors in it, but whatever, it's done now, and that's good enough for me.


	42. E02: Blitzkrieg

--- Disturbance, Book 3: Endurance ---

Chapter E02 - Blitzkrieg

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-Let us have peace, let us have life-_

Majin Buu grinned confidently across the Lookout at the golden-wreathed girl before him. He had her right where he wanted her, and now, that irritating boy couldn't save her. 'Now, do I kill her quickly, leave me more time to eat, or do I kill her slowly, and make her feel all the pain I did?' The second the question finished, the rhetorical nature of it became obvious. "I am going to rip you limb from limb. Every wound I suffered, I will give you ten fold!"

"In your dreams Pinko," Liran scoffed, folding her arms as the golden flames around her flickered in the breeze. "See, there's one thing you're not taking into account."

"Oh?" Buu smirked; he'd bite, if only to see the girl flounder. "And what's that?"

"Back there, in the room, I had to hold back, for fear of destroying the portal and trapping us in there," she stated matter-of-factly, uncrossing her arms and clenching her fists, dropping into the typical 'power-up' position. "Out here, I have no such problem!" With a rising shout, her aura doubled in size, bolts of lightning erupting from around her as she ascended again to the second level of Super Saiyan.

Majin Buu just yawned. "So you're one of those Super Two's as well are you?" He asked tiredly. "It won't help you know."

_-Let us escape the cruel night-_

Liran chuckled darkly. "Oh but it will. I still have a few tricks up my sleeve, so to speak." Without warning, she was encased in a sphere of light once again, which shattered to reveal a new form, which one clad in a silvery-white, with long mostly-straight hair coming past her shoulders, both in front of and behind her ears, and more jarring, a cross-scar across her nose.

Groaning irritably, Buu slapped his forehead, muttering, "Not _another_ of your stupid forms."

Liran grinned, holding one hand out in front of her as what appeared to be pure white light swirled around her hand, before 'exploding' to reveal a wicked spiked sword, longer than she was tall, with an odd star formation at the top. Holding it vertical, she twisted the base slightly, and the star erupted outwards, the spikes doubling in length. Swinging the weapon around behind her, she felt a sudden... sensation across her back. Glancing over her shoulder, a sadistic grin came to her face.

The full moon was out early today...

_-Let us have time, let the sun shine-_

"Oh this is bad..." Krillin bemoaned, watching the young blonde-haired girl upon the Lookout through the viewscreen, as she held her hands out to either side and floated upwards slightly, starting to glow with pale white light.

"I don't see what the problem is guys," Videl shrugged, "Liran looks like she has everything under control, and it's just the moon, so-"

"You don't understand Videl," Bulma cut in, not meaning to cut the girl off but wanting to speak her mind quickly. "In the light of the full moon, tailed Saiyans can transform into a giant ape monster capable of great destruction should they so choose." Frowning, she finished grimly, "And it looks like she's chosen to."

"I'm pulling her out," Avarrdo stated with an air of finality, striding over to the teleporter controls.

_-Let us beware the deadly sign-_

"No!" Kellre barked, marching over to him. "Doing that could give away our position!"

"Better to give away our position than have a Super Saiyan Two Oozaru running around."

"Shut it both of you!" Kaen snapped, dragging the pair of them away from the controls. "You will _not_ interfere in this fight, understood? She's not going to shift." Pre-empting the 'how do you know that's he knew were coming, he added, "I recognize this move."

"How could you possibly know what she's doing?" Truniz asked, more curious than sceptical. "You haven't exactly been around these past few weeks."

Kaen just smirked. "Because I know where she stole it from."

_-The day is coming-_

"Just what the hell are you doing girl?" Buu drawled, staring across the tiled courtyard at her. For almost a full minute, she had done nothing but float there, a pale white glow around her. "I thought you said you had a few tricks left. If floating there is all this form does for you, you might as well give up now."

Liran just smirked, shouting, "Moon! Shine down!" The pale white light coalesced into a bright white explosion, just harmless light, but the girl it died down to reveal looked, to say the least, a lot angrier; the glowing red eyes were a bit of a giveaway, as was the now-spiky hair.

_-Armageddon's near-_

With a warcry Liran launched towards the monster, swinging her massive weapon in an overhand strike. At the last possible second, Buu leapt backwards, avoiding the white blade that he was fairly confident would hurt him, but he was unprepared for the waves of blue fire that streaked away from the contact point, when the weapon slammed into the tile. This was quickly followed by a second swing, the impact causing a similar streak of flame, before a cry of "Be gone!" heralded a third, much more powerful strike.

_-Inferno's coming-_

Still reeling from the explosion, Buu took to the sky, hoping to avoid any more attacks, only for the girl to leap up and catch him with the spiked blade, dragging him back down and slamming him into the tile, delivering a blast of blue flame directly to his chest. He quickly rolled out of the way of the second strike, but the explosion from the third caught him once more, and sent him sprawling.

Buu growled to himself as he climbed back to his feet, trying to shake off the magical burns, as a horrified thought ran through his head; 'I'm at war with a little girl... AND I'M LOSING!'

_-Can we survive the blitzkrieg?-_

"This is hopeless!" Piccolo growled in aggravation, clenching his fist until his claws dug into his palm hard enough to draw blood. "We've been yelling and trying to open another portal for hours. You've had enough time for the fusion to wear off, rest, and re-fuse five times now. Let's face it, we're trapped here, and..." The Namek shot the fused boy a tired look, adding, "And you're not listening to a word I'm saying are you?"

True to his observation, Gotenks wasn't listening to a word he said, which became quite clear as the fused boy muttered to himself, "Oh man, I really hoped I wouldn't have to do this. It cuts my fusion time in half."

Piccolo blinked, asking, "Have to do what?"

_-The blitzkrieg-_

A rising shout and a massive blast of wind answered him, as Gotenks was surrounded by a roaring golden aura. Blue lightning dancing around his form, he was engulfed in golden light, his hair extending down his back, before the light faded once more, revealing Super Saiyan Three Gotenks in his place. Cracking his knuckles and tilting his head from side to side, he remarked, "Right. Let's try this again."

A vein throbbed in Piccolo's forehead as he barked, "Why didn't you do this from the start of the fight?"

_-The blitzkrieg!-_

Gotenks gave him a bored look, replying, "Liran and I agreed it was too dangerous to fight at this sort of level in here, lest we destroy the entrance. We thought that together we'd be able to destroy Buu in our base Super Saiyan levels, but we kind of didn't count on _him_ destroying the entrance. Plus, as I've already mentioned, using this level leaves me with only fifteen minutes fusion time."

Without waiting for Piccolo to reply, he focused energy into his voicebox, and unleashed a massive yell, tearing a new 'hole' in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. "Hurry up Green Bean," Gotenks drawled, the fused boy never before so resembling Vegeta, "There won't be another one."

_-Save us from fate, save us from hate-_

Liran was in trouble, and she knew it. Lookout deserted? Check. Alone on the planet with a homicidal monster? Check. Unable to cause any lasting damage against said monster? Check. Fusion almost about to run out? Double check. Like Gotenks, using Super Saiyan Two had sped up her fusion's 'decay'; using her silver form had only made the decay increase further. And though she could clearly cause Buu pain, he wasn't getting any weaker, so she wasn't doing any actual damage.

In short, her chances of victory were looking increasingly slim.

_-Save ourselves before it's too late-_

There was just one move she had left, and the way things were looking, at best she could expect it to hurt the monster. Nonetheless, she knew she had to try. "Moon! Shine down!" Powering up into berserker mode again, she leapt into the air with an explosive shockwave, the sky going dark save for the full moon, as she shouted, "All shall be lost to you!" Landing back on the ground, she surged forward, each step sending out a 'ripple' of pale blue energy, before she darted forward and slashed, fountains of blue fire erupting in her wake.

She chased after the fleeing Buu, each footstep still sending out those blue shockwaves, which proved to be fairly devastating to the surrounding environment of the Lookout, carving lines into the palace and cleaving trees off at the ground from the gardens. Each time he was just about to get away, she would dart forward, slashing and causing fountains of blue fire, and each time he would just manage to avoid the blade, though the flames still struck him, and caused the monster to howl in pain.

She'd wear him down yet. He would make a mistake before she would. And that mistake came soon enough.

_-Come to our need, hear our plea-_

"Whoa, what the hell happened here?" Gotenks asked rhetorically, as the portal he'd created closed behind him. "Looks like we missed one hell of a party."

Piccolo gaped in horror at what'd become of the Lookout. The once pristine white tiles now bore a series of gouges, waves of ripped up tiles, and scorch marks. The palace and the structures around it were pitted with blast lines; they too also bore scorches. As far as the Namek could see, the entire Lookout was ruined. That, however, wasn't as important as the pressing issue on his mind: "Where is everyone?"

"You think Buu got 'em? You think Liran failed?" Gotenks asked worriedly.

The boy was answered by a pillar of blue fire erupting from behind one of the palace's towers, preceding a battered pink form shattering through said tower to crash onto, and dig a trench through, the battered tiles. The rest of the tower was brought down as the glowing figure of Liran almost seemed to skip through it, swinging around her mighty white sword, each step, or maybe swing of her weapon, sending out a ripple of blue energy, before she leapt into the air and struck the fallen Buu with a powerful downward slash.

The fused boy blinked, replying to his own question with, "Well, I guess that answers that..."

_-Save ourselves before the earth bleeds-_

When the white blade struck the tile, a massive pyre of blue flames erupted upwards, the singed Buu being sent careening, before Liran leapt from the inferno, hurling her weapon at the monster as she shouted, "Be gone!" The whirling weapon sliced cleanly through the dazed monster, almost dissecting him, before shattering into fragments of light, as the silver form faded away, the girl collapsing to her knees in exhaustion.

Gotenks rushed over to her, asking worriedly, "Are you okay? What happened to the others?"

"Don't know," she shrugged tiredly, "I got here mere seconds after he did, and everyone was gone, so he didn't get 'em." Smiling tiredly, she asked, "I did good didn't I?"

The boy smiled back and nodded. "You did good. Now it's my turn." Cracking his knuckles, he watched as Liran passed out, before returning to the twins in a flash of light, and indicated to Piccolo to take care of them, before charging into battle against the regenerating monster. Time for Round Three.

_-The day is coming-_

Things weren't looking that good down on Earth. One of the fused warriors was out of the fight, having stalled Buu for long enough for the others to escape the Room of Spirit and Time, but their remaining fighter, Gotenks, like Liran before him, just couldn't lay down enough lasting damage. In short, they were losing, and it was Goku who summed it up best when he remarked, "Oh man, this isn't going well..."

"I was afraid of this..." Shin remarked sadly. "Majin Buu's regenerative abilities are just too strong for any of the children to overcome, and they're simply too young to possess enough 'good' energy to sever the ties he has with the Well of Evil."

"So you're saying they can't win?"

The Supreme Kai shook his head. "I'm sorry Goku. It doesn't appear they ever could."

Gohan grit his teeth, clenching his fists until his knuckles turned white. He had to get down there. His little brother was going to die if he didn't. He was _not_ going to sit idly by as another member of his family was killed by an evil monster that was _his_ responsibility to destroy; a responsibility he had once again failed in. "Elder," Gohan asked pensively, "How much longer is this going to take? My brother needs me; Earth needs me."

The Elder Kai blinked for a second before commenting, "Oh, it's been done for a while now."

This was met by a facefault from everyone in earshot. Picking himself up, Gohan muttered dazedly, "But, it hasn't been thirty hours... Has it?"

_-The time is near-_

Elder just shrugged, replying, "Actually, it's been closer to sixty." This caused another facefault. "I thought I'd use the extra time to let your new powers settle, and see if I couldn't bring out a bit more." Seeing the confused look on Gohan's face, he added, "You're still thinking of time the way it works in the land of the living. In Other World, time travels faster; the only way your father has any concept of time as it exists on Earth is because he 'synchronises' his personal time every time he uses King Kai to contact you."

With a blink and a nod, Gohan accepted this news and filed it away. Standing up, he spun his sword around his wrist before sheathing it, and casting his eyes over his body in case there was anything different. "So, it's done then? You've drawn out all my hidden powers?"

"Oh heavens no," Elder replied with a dismissive wave of his hand, as he climbed back to his feet. "You never would have been able to survive that. All I could do was open the door to your true power, and draw out maybe ten to fifteen percent of that, but it should be more than you'll need to defeat Majin Buu."

Blinking owlishly, Gohan commented, "Okay... So, how do I access these new powers?"

Elder just walked away with another semi-dismissive wave. "Just do your Super Saiyan thing."

_-Aliens calling-_

"Does that mean Gohan can't access his Super Saiyan powers then?" Goku asked, worried for his son's hard-won Saiyanity.

"For now, yes," Elder grimaced, afraid of any possible repercussion. "It was the only way I could 'link' your new powers for now. You will still be able to use your Super Saiyan powers, but you'll need to relearn how to do so. For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

Gohan knew his father was probably about to say something - after all, though Goku didn't consider himself that much of a Saiyan, he _did_ know how much it meant to his son - but before he could Gohan cut him off with, "It's okay. Desperate times call for desperate measures. In times of war, sacrifices must be made." With a resolute nod, he added, "I _will_ regain my birthright, but for now, I have a war to win, so if you'll excuse me," he raised two fingers to his forehead, "I must be off."

And then he was gone.

_-Can we survive the blitzkrieg?-_

"Victory Cannon!" The massive golden beam streaked towards the pink monster faster than anyone could have anticipated, catching the creature off guard, leaving Buu to eat a mouth full of dirt. About ten minutes ago they had left the Lookout, Gotenks spiking Buu down towards the planet with what he called his 'Buu Volleyball' attack, and he'd been laying into the monster with everything he had ever since.

About five minutes ago Oran and Lime had regained consciousness, the twins having been carried down to the planet's surface by Piccolo, and the three stood nearby, watching the fight, and feeling more than a little bit helpless; after all, if Gotenks failed, that was it, there was no one else. And their worst fears were about to be realised.

_-The blitzkrieg-_

Gotenks reared back, taking a deep breath, and exhaling a white cloud with a cry of "Super Ghost Kamikaze Attack!" However, as the last word left his mouth, the golden mass of hair atop his head seemed to shatter, returning to the black-and-purple of his normal form, and leaving the ghost so created so weak it couldn't even blacken Buu's skin. Gulping, Gotenks muttered, "Uh oh..."

"Game over," Oran muttered sourly, watching Gotenks as he was consumed in a white light, leaving behind a tired and weakened pair of boys.

Buu chuckled deeply. Oh yes, this was the moment he had been waiting for. Now, he would kill them all, and there was no one and nothing that could stop him.

_-The blitzkrieg-_

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's notes:

Well, it may have taken me a while, but here's the next chapter, finally. I'm not entirely happy with it, as it seems rushed, but it's good enough. I have come to the conclusion that I just don't like Gotenks, and as such, just could not get into writing about his fight, which results in, shall we say, a less then best performance.

Hopefully the next chapter will be easier to write...


	43. E03: Down With The Sickness

-- Disturbance, Book 3: Endurance --

Chapter E03 - Down With The Sickness

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

_-Can you feel that?-_

Gohan sighed blissfully as he felt the breeze blow across his face, a familiar scent on the wind. "I'm home." And the planet never felt more dead. His face shifting into a cold battle mask, he nodded to himself, locking his senses onto the dark ki far in the distance, one he would remember for the rest of his days. "Time to finish this."

With the briefest gust of wind, he took to the sky, before rocketing off at blinding speed.

_-Ah shit...-_

"Oh man this is bad!" Trunks exclaimed fearfully; he may have been every bit his father's son, but he _was_ only eight years old, and this monster scared the bejesus out of him now that he knew it was going to turn him into candy and eat him.

"Get behind me!" Piccolo shouted, diving in front of the children. "Go! Run! I'll hold him off until-"

"Wait!" Goten shouted excitedly, "Did you feel that?"

_-OH-WAH-AH-AH-AH!-_

The former demon king paused, replying, "Yes! It feels like-"

"Niichan!"

It was impossible to tell whether Goten's cry summoned Gohan, or if it was in response to his brother appearing, because the two events happened almost simultaneously. The end result was the same however; Son Gohan, in all his glory, was back, and he looked angry.

If Buu looked worried, however, he didn't show it. Instead, he grinned maliciously, stating, "So you finally show up."

_-OH-WAH-AH-AH-AH!-_

"You've been expecting me." It wasn't a question.

Buu answered regardless. "I felt you. I felt your power rising. I never forget a power, especially not one I killed."

"You didn't kill me," Gohan stated dryly. "And now you never can."

"We'll see about that boy!" Buu growled angrily.

_-OH OH!-_

Turning back to his old mentor, and the four kids he was protecting, Gohan stated firmly, "No matter what happens, I want all of you to stay out of this. This is my fight now."

"But-" Trunks started to protest.

Gohan cut him off sternly. "No buts Trunks. Understand?"

_-OH OH!-_

'Angry Gohan is scary.' Trunks thought to himself, before nodding once and taking a few steps back. He may not have liked the situation, but he would obey Gohan's wishes, if only because he respected the older Saiyan so much. 'I don't see why he's so confident though. I mean, he doesn't feel any stronger than he was before.'

Apparently Trunks wasn't the only one having that thought, as Piccolo stated, "Gohan, what're you doing? You can't beat Buu alone!"

Gohan just grinned. "Don't worry about me Piccolo. I have all the strength I'm ever going to need to stop this monstrosity."

_-OH OH!-_

Majin Buu just grinned coldly at the teen, stating, "Your overconfidence will be your downfall boy. Do you forget the last time you and I fought? I seem to remember you getting your ass kicked."

"So you actually have a high enough IQ to speak properly now?" It would appear Buu had picked up a healthy dose of Earth colloquialisms too; he blamed Trunks for that, though it was just as likely Oran or Lime. "That's good. It means I won't have to dumb down to you just how badly I am going to destroy you. I am going to get vengeance for each and every person you have killed these past few days, then, if there's anything left of you, I might start on those you killed before you arrived on Earth."

"So you say boy," Buu sneered, "But those brats swore the same oath, and look at them now."

Gohan scowled. "That was mistake number two."

_-Drowning deep in my sea of loathing-  
-Broken your servant I kneel-  
-(Will you give in to me?)-_

A pale blue aura burst into life around the teen, before, without warning, he blurred forward, his fist burying in the pink monster's gut. Without waiting for Buu to recover, Gohan grabbed his head by the tentacle-thing atop it, and drove the creatures face into his knee. Smirking coldly at the satisfying sound it made, he kneed the monster again, and again, until he grew bored of this, at which point he planted a ki blast in the monster's mouth and slammed his jaw shut with an uppercut.

Piccolo gasped at just how fast his student had become, considering he was still in his base form. Goten gaped at how brutal his brother was being, recalling his fight with Spopovich the previous day. The other three, however, only had one thing on their mind: how awesome this fight was going to be.

Smirking as the pink monster toppled backwards like a felled tree, black smoke trailing out between his teeth, Gohan remarked, "That was for insulting my family. Now, I think I'll start repaying you for what you did to my friends."

_-It seems what's left of my human side-  
-Is slowly changing... in me-  
-(Will you give in to me?)-_

There were a few moments of tense silence, before Gohan remarked, "You can get up now. I know you're not really hurt by that."

Smirking coldly, Majin Buu climbed back to his feet, a trickle of purple blood dripping out of the corner of his mouth. "Have you realised yet that you will never be able to kill me?" Buu sneered.

"Hardly," Gohan replied dryly. "As much as you'd like to believe otherwise, you're _not_ invulnerable, nor immortal. I know exactly what you are, and exactly what I can do, so it's only a matter of time before I destroy every trace of you."

Growling, Majin Buu charged towards him and screamed, "Then I just won't give you that time!"

_-Looking at my own reflection-  
-When suddenly it changes-  
-Violently it changes!-_

'So predictable,' Gohan mused to himself, waiting until the last possible second before reacting, leaping up and driving his fist into the taller monster's chest, and stopping him cold. Before gravity could begin to take hold, Gohan swung his knee up to connect with the left side of Buu's face, then spun around the other way and slamming the other side with a hook kick, sending the monster sprawling once more.

The angered teen wasn't content to stop there though, charging in front of the sliding monster and digging his leg into the ground, carving a trench and kicking Buu into the air. Taking off after him, Gohan let Buu sail high enough into the air for Piccolo and the kids to look like ants, before getting ahead of the monster and slamming him over the head with a double axe-handle.

Majin Buu let out a roar of shock and pain as he plummeted back down towards the ground, but managed to right himself at the last second and land heavily on his hands and feet, even sinking into the sun-scarred soil an inch or two. His respite was short-lived however, as a dive-bombing Gohan drove his extended leg into the monster's back, the force of impact cratering the ground, and burying Buu under a hundred feet or so of rubble.

_-Oh no! There is no turning back now-  
-You've woken up the demon... in me!!-_

Landing on the lip of the new crater, Gohan peered inside, trying to spot the homicidal monster buried within. Now, many people, when faced with a hidden enemy, would spring the trap in the hopes of flushing them out. Others preferred to wait until said enemy revealed themselves, regardless of how much hidden power-up time it would give them. Gohan, on the other hand - "Kamehame" - preferred to smoke them out.

"HA!" He cut the flow to the beam a split second after firing it, releasing a pulse of energy just large enough to destroy all of Buu's cover, before adjusting his aim to parallel to the hole, and firing again. "HA!" True to his prediction, Buu took to the air moments before the pulse exploded, and the teen couldn't help but grin at the wide-eyed look on the monster's face as he was caught by the follow-up beam and carried off.

Gritting his teeth, Gohan pumped more power into the beam, continuing the flow until the head of it, and the monster sprawled across it, was over five miles away. With but a mental command, the beam veered towards the sky, before, with a short smirk from Gohan, it plummeted back towards the ground, burrowing over twenty-five feet before exploding.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Gohan turned to the others and remarked casually, "That'll leave a mark. Once I've finished up here, you guys have _got_ to tell me what I've missed out on, okay?" Without waiting for a reply, he charged off after the monster, an almost gleeful smile on his face melting back into his battle mask.

_-Get up, come on get down with the sickness!-  
-Get up, come on get down with the sickness!-  
-Get up, come on get down with the sickness!-  
-Open up your hate, and let it flow into me!-_

"Wow, Gohan's sure kicking some ass down there," Kat commented cheerfully, to the general agreement of the teen's extended family nearby.

"Well, I always knew he'd show up just in time to stop that monster winning," Videl replied in a no-nonsense tone, though she had a massive smile on her face as she said it; she may have been told Gohan was still alive, but it was nice to see the truth herself with her own two eyes.

"But where's he getting all this power from I wonder?" Pi mused. "I mean, he's stronger now then he was as a Super Saiyan Two, but he hasn't even ascended yet."

With a shrug, Videl suggested, "Well, maybe he can't. Maybe whatever new power he's got has replaced that, or something." She didn't miss how every Saiyan in the room either winced, frowned, or scowled at that suggestion. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

_-Get up, come on get down with the sickness!-  
-You mother get up, come on get down with the sickness!-  
-You fucker get up, come on get down with the sickness!-  
-Madness is the gift that has been given to me...-_

"The Super Saiyan transformation is part of who we are as Saiyans," Kellre explained. "It's our birthright, our heritage; it helps define who we are. It is the symbol of ascension for our species; the symbol that we have surpassed our bestial origins. If Gohan has had to give that up..."

"Sometimes, the benefit is not worth the price," Kaen scowled.

Almost able to see the gears turning in Videl's head, Pi added, "Gohan would never willingly have paid that price unless there was no choice; he is every bit as proud of his Saiyan blood as we are. If he has lost it, he was either not told about that, or given no choice."

"Or will be able to find a way to get it back," Videl added hopefully.

"He'll get it back," Kaen commented firmly; he'd see to it if nothing else. Grinning wryly, he added, "Typical Gohan. I break through the limits of my power and nearly kill myself doing so. He shatters the limits of his and barely breaks a sweat."

_-I can see inside you, the sickness is rising-  
-Don't try to deny what you feel-  
-(Will you give in to me?)-_

Gohan roared forwards, slamming his fist into the yielding pink flesh of Majin Buu's gut, sending the monster rocketing backwards, before giving chase with a flare of ki. Whipping around the other side of the out-of-control construct, he booted it skywards, before unleashing a volley of blasts to juggle the battered pink thing for a while.

Gohan was bored and irritable, plain and simple. After having fought this monster for maybe five minutes, he realised that all the challenge of the fight was gone. He was the stronger, Buu was the weaker, and the passage of time wasn't changing that at all. Buu had hit his peak, it seemed, though his power didn't drop much despite how much damage his artificial pink body sustained.

There was only one thing stopping Gohan from killing Buu once and for all; he didn't know how. He knew what he had to do - sever the creature's link to the Well of Evil - but that was the sort of thing easier said than done. Then again, he _had_ managed to sever Phoenix's connection to Kaen's soul, so this shouldn't be too much harder to work out.

_-It seems that all that was good has died-  
-And is decaying... in me-  
-(Will you give in to me?)-_

"Can't you see yet boy?" Buu's voice bellowed from the smoke enveloping him, "You can't beat me."

"Which fight are you watching? Last _I_ checked, I _was_ beating you," Gohan replied wryly.

Growling, Buu shouted, "This means nothing! You'll never be able to kill me; I'm invincible!"

Gohan just shook his head. "Wrong. You're just another asshole, and it's only a matter of time until I work out how to kill you." Grinning, he added, "Until then, I'm going to milk this for as much fun as there is to be had."

Twitching, Buu growled, "This is no game boy!"

"Of course you'd say that." Gohan's grin never slipped. "You're losing."

_-It seems you're having some trouble-  
-In dealing with these changes!-  
-Living with these changes!-_

"Wow, Gohan's really kicking Buu's ass," Trunks commented, a decidedly impressed tone to his voice.

"Yeah, but he's all... different now," Goten replied a touch sadly.

His face neutral, Piccolo remarked, "This is how Gohan has always been when focused on the battle at hand. He has learned to shut off almost all emotions until the fight is over."

"You make him sound like a monster," Goten muttered hollowly.

"Wrong," Oran stated firmly. "He makes Gohan sound like a true Saiyan."

_-Now the world is a scary place-  
-Now that you've woken up the demon... in me!-_

A Saiyan's mind was a truly complex machine, so much so that there were many skills they possessed that most Saiyans didn't even know about unless they had been strictly trained in it. For Gohan, however, training had always been almost superfluous to his own innate abilities, and so it came as no great surprise that he discovered this ability on his own.

A Saiyan's ability to fight on autopilot.

It was truly a remarkable adaptation. A Saiyan was so conditioned to fight, from such a young age, that they could do so without requiring to think about it, allowing them to focus on more important matters, such as how to defeat the foe they were fighting. Of course, there was only so much one could do on autopilot, so relying on it to win a fight was asking for defeat, but it could easily be used to hold ground in a so-called 'routine' fight, like the one Gohan was in now.

And he used this ability to great affect, focusing all his energy on just how to destroy Buu once and for all.

_-Get up, come on get down with the sickness!-  
-Get up, come on get down with the sickness!-  
-Get up, come on get down with the sickness!-  
-Open up your hate, and let it flow into me-_

"Geez, Gohan's really tearing it up down there," Kat remarked casually, her ears twitching as she watched the fight going down on the planet below. "I mean, I knew he had assloads of energy, but this is just nuts. He's like the freaking Energizer Bunny or something."

"That's Gohan for ya," Kaen drawled amusedly, "Makin' it look easy as always."

"Shouldn't he have won by now?" Videl asked curiously; if Gohan was that much stronger than Buu, winning shouldn't be a problem, right?

"Theoretically, yes," Kellre replied, in true scientist fashion, "However, beating this opponent isn't as simple as fighting him until he stops moving. In order to destroy Majin Buu, he must disrupt that which holds him in this dimension."

_-Get up, come on get down with the sickness!-  
-You mother get up, come on get down with the sickness!-  
-You fucker get up, come on get down with the sickness!-  
-Madness is the gift that has been given to me...-_

Blinking, Videl replied in a confused tone, "Uh, you lost me at 'disrupt'. What exactly does he have to do?"

"It's quite simple," Avarrdo picked up, "From what out scans of the creature have discovered, we have come to the conclusion that Majin Buu technically does not exist. He is a construct, held together by dark magicks. As such, as long as those magicks bind what passes for the creature's spirit to this plane of existence, destroying his physical body will only delay him as he is forced to recreate another, as evidenced when young Kaen here disintegrated him."

Ignoring the satisfied look on Kaen's face this comment produced, Videl pressed on, "Okay then, but how is Gohan meant to kill him?"

The two older Saiyans just shrugged, Kellre replying, "That, we do not know. But if anyone can figure it out, I would wager Gohan could."

_-And when I dream-_

'What was it the Supreme Kai said?' Gohan mused to himself, still smacking Buu around without even thinking about it. 'He said that Buu's 'soul', if it could be called that, was the Well of Evil itself, and if I ever hoped of defeating him, I would need to find a way to sever that connection. Then he said something about how only good can defeat evil.'

_-And when I dream-_

Growling to himself as he threw the battered monster aside, Gohan thought sourly, 'Well that's just no help at all; why are these things never clear? I mean, the Supreme Kai all but kidnaps me, only to inform me that if I ever want to defeat Buu, I have to work out for myself how to do that. Well news flash, I already freaking knew-'

_-And when I dream-_

His thought train derailed suddenly, as he realised, 'Wait a second, he didn't take me there to find a way to defeat Buu at all; he took me there because he was convinced I could draw the Z Sword, a weapon capable of cutting anything. It's already proved that, even corrupted, it can cut intangible connections; is this what it was meant to be used for?'

_-And when I dream!-_

Gripping the hilt of his weapon, he drew it out of the sheath with a flourish, commenting to himself, "Only one way to find out."

_-OH-WAH-AH-AH-AH!-_

Ignoring the fast regenerating Majin Buu in the distance, Gohan closed his eyes, forcing his heart rate to slow down, as he held the sword before him with one hand, resting the two middle fingers of his other hand on either side of the blade, directly in front of his face. 'The only way to defeat evil, is with good,' the teen repeated to himself.

Focusing his thoughts, and remembering back to how he had cleansed the blade, Gohan began to gently force his energy into the sword, coating the blade with his ki. Before long, the blade began to glow a soft blue, almost indistinguishable in the midday light, but it was there.

Gohan didn't need to see to know that the newly healed Buu was charging towards him, intent on blowing his head off; he could feel him coming. Waiting until the last possible second, Gohan swung the sword around until it was horizontal, slamming Buu with the flat of the blade and wrapping him around it, the momentum causing the monster to flip forwards. Continuing the motion, he swung the sword up and behind him, carving a line from just under the monster's chin to halfway down his stomach, before stabbing him and pinning him to the rocky ground.

_-Get up, come on get down with the sickness!-  
-Get up, come on get down with the sickness!-  
-Get up, come on get down with the sickness!-  
-Open up your hate, and let it flow into me-_

Buu howled with pain as the ki-coated blade impacted his flesh, the cries increasing once the blade actually pierced him, before going strangely silent when he was impaled; the sword hurt, possibly as much, or maybe more, than that stupid brat girl's weapons had. But he was numb to the pain now; he had a plan to get back at all of them.

Grinning as he held the sword in place, and thus held Buu pinned to the ground, Gohan commented, "Looks like I've found your weakness monster."

"Wrong!" Buu shouted back, purple blood starting to drip from his mouth as his voice started to increase in pitch, as though he were sucking back helium, "You may have hurt me, boy, but you'll not have the last laugh! I'll kill you all!"

His eyes widening in shock as he suddenly realised what Buu was doing, Gohan cried, "Oh shit!" And took to the sky. Moments later, everything within a five mile radius was vaporised in a devastating pink explosion, the dome visible from space.

_-Get up, come on get down with the sickness!-  
-You mother get up, come on get down with the sickness!-  
-You fucker get up, come on get down with the sickness!-  
-Madness has now come over me!!-_

Author's notes:

Edit (25/03/08): Fixed up some formatting errors


	44. E04: What I've Done

-- Disturbance, Book 3: Endurance --

Chapter E04 - What I've Done

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

--

_-In this farewell-  
-There's no blood, there's no alibi-_

"Wow, that was close!"

"A little too close 'Ten." Hanging by his shirt was hardly the most graceful rescue, but even Oran had to grudgingly admit it was a nice save on Gohan's part, even if the teen did look incredibly strange holding one child under each arm, another in each hand, and Piccolo with his legs. Leaning his head back to watch the tense teen, Oran added, "You can let us go now Gohan."

With a quick nod and an embarrassed laugh, proving that underneath the hardass warrior was the cheerful Gohan they all knew and loved, the demi-Saiyan released his iron grip on Goten and Oran's gi's, then moved his arms enough for Trunks and Lime to extricate themselves, before releasing his hold on Piccolo.

Dusting himself off, and fixing his lavender hair, Trunks remarked, "That was quite a blast. But why would Buu kill himself like that? Surely he didn't think a suicide attack would kill _you_ Gohan."

"He didn't," the teen replied calmly, holding one hand out towards the massive smoke pillar of the fast fading explosion.

"Ah, right, he was hoping to get us then," Trunks added with a shrug, "I guess we would've been easy enough to suicide away, but why-"

_-Cause I've drawn regret-  
-From the truth of a thousand lies-_

"No Trunks," Gohan cut him off, "What I mean is he didn't kill himself. He just unleashed a massive explosion to hide his escape." A slight whistling sound and a glint of steel heralded Gohan's sword, flying out of the rubble and directly into his hand, still smoking slightly from the mass of energy that had washed over it when he dropped it to grab the others.

"Huh?" Goten asked in the cute confused way that only he could, "Then where'd he go?"

"Down." His older brother replied, spinning his sword a few times to shake the smoke and dust off before sheathing it. "He's headed underground, probably to wait until we're unprepared before attacking again, or to gather more strength or something."

"You really think he's planning something?" Trunks asked sceptically.

Before the older Saiyan could reply, Lime shrugged and stated, "I would. He knows he can't win in a fair fight, so he'll try to draw Gohan into an _un_fair one instead."

"Whatever he's planning, I'll be ready for him," Gohan stated firmly, before asking, "So, what happened to everyone else?"

_-So let mercy come, and wash away-  
-What I've done-_

Silence descended upon the room, as everyone watched the fading pink explosion through the view screen. It couldn't last forever though, and soon enough, the voice of the short monk Krillin asked, "Did he kill himself?"

Kaen shorted derisively, replying, "You think he regenerated himself from atoms and killed almost all life forms on Earth, only to blow himself up in a pointless attempt at killing Gohan? You're kidding me right?"

"So where'd he go then?" Videl asked curiously, taking her eyes off the new crater to look at the Saiyan teen. "I mean, he can't have just vanished can he?"

With a slow shake of her head, Pi remarked, "Down. That's all we could pick up before the explosion knocked out our sensors."

Putting a hand to his chin, Truniz muttered, "So he's gone to ground then. The question is, why?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Avarrdo commented. "Sometimes to take a step forward, you need to take a step back."

With a solemn nod, Kellre added, "He's planning something, there's no doubt in my mind of that. I guess we're just going to have to wait and see what that 'something' is."

_-I'll face myself, to cross out what I've become-  
-Erase myself, and let go of what I've done-_

"So you're telling me that everyone's dead?" Gohan asked, a note of disbelief in his voice. When the kids before him nodded - and more importantly, Piccolo didn't object - he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, before adding, "Did you actually see Buu kill them?"

After a moment of thought, Goten shook his head, replying, "Uh... Nope. By the time we got out, all that was left was Buu and Liran. Everybody else was gone."

"Now that you mention it," Lime added, "If what Pickles said is true, and they were all still alive when he brought Buu into the chamber, they should still be alive now. I mean, Buu didn't really have enough time to kill _anyone_ before we rocked up."

Looking amongst the group, Trunks asked, "But then, where would they be?"

Oran just rolled his eyes. "The Icebreaker. Where else would they all be?"

_-Put to rest-  
-What you thought of me-_

Taking a deep breath, Piccolo stated, "Gohan, I don't know how to tell you his, but Videl... I... watched Buu-"

"No Piccolo," Gohan cut him off with a smile, "You only thought you did. Videl is alive and well." At the Namek's questioning look, Gohan gave a half-shrug before adding, "I can't explain it, but I know I'd know if anything happened to her."

Oran gave him a look that clearly showed the boy's disbelief; he knew that Gohan knew exactly why. However, if the older-but-younger Saiyan didn't want to say it, who was he to call him up on it?

Before anyone else could comment, assuming they were even going to, Gohan remarked cheerfully, "In any case, why don't we go round up Dende, hm? I can still sense him faintly, so he's definitely still alive, which means the dragon balls are still active, and I've a feeling we'll be needing them soon enough." Without waiting for a reply he took to the sky, leaving the others to follow lest they be left behind.

_-While I clean this slate-  
-With the hands of uncertainty-_

"Hey boy, there's something I've been meaning to ask you that's never come up."

"What is it old man?" Kaen sighed, glancing over at his father and placing his fingers inside the book to mark his place; with the fight on the view screen seemingly over for now, he'd been forced to find other, pedestrian means of entertaining himself while his body recovered.

"Why did you all but trick the twins into playing video games?" Regardless of what the answer was, they all knew it would change nothing. Avarrdo would be the first to admit that he wasn't much of a father, with his kids coming a distant third to his mate and his work (in that order) so he'd more or less left them to raise themselves; or, more accurately, he'd left Kaen to raise them.

In a very real sense, Kaen was the twins' father. Avarrdo may have been their male genetic donor, but it was Kaen who raised them, taught them about life, trained them, and who they aspired to be. As such, Kaen knew more than anyone what was best regarding the twins' well being. Thus, if he felt it was best the twins play video games, then clearly that _was_ what was best.

Avarrdo just wanted to know why that was so.

With another sigh, Kaen slid a bookmark between the pages and set the book aside, a tired smile coming to his face as he remarked, "I was wondering when this'd come up. Quite frankly, I'm surprised you waited so long."

"You knew we knew?" Kellre had to admit, he too was curious, though for different reasons. While the older Saiyan was not even close to being the twins' father, he had watched their development with interest, especially as they raised themselves in Kaen's absence. With his recent insight into the inner workings of Kaen's mind, he too was suitably intrigued.

Kaen gave his father's friend a wan smile, remarking, "The sphere pool you had me test was a bit of a giveaway." He lapsed into silence, and for a moment it appeared he wasn't going to answer, before he sighed a third time and stated in a quiet, solemn tone, something that shocked them all; well, except maybe Pi. "I don't want them to wind up like me."

_-So let mercy come, and wash away-  
-What I've done-_

That single comment almost caused Avarrdo to lose his reserve; almost. Managing to wrangle his shock enough to speak normally, he asked, "What do you mean? You're everything they've ever aspired to be their entire lives."

"And where has that gotten them?" Kaen shot back. "Where has my lifestyle gotten me? Yes, they're strong, and yes, they can fight extremely well, but what else do they have? What else did I have?"

With a heavy sigh, he glanced at Pi, keeping his eyes locked to hers as he continued, "Before we arrived here on Earth, the only things I had were Pi, my fighting skills, and my family. No friends, no skills not geared towards combat, no life outside of war. And before we arrived here, that was fine; we'd been at war for longer than I'd been alive. But the war's long done. We're all just folk now."

Looking away from his mate and back to his father, he continued, "When I look at them, I see everything wrong with my own life. They're emotionally and socially stunted, and have few, if any, interests outside of fighting. And so I've been doing everything I could to 'fix' them, but they're too entrenched in their ways for me to simply tell them to think differently."

"So why the games?" Avarrdo asked curiously. "They claimed they were 'training simulators'." His tone carried an air of question; clearly, he believed that little white lie was one of Kaen's.

_-I'll face myself, to cross out what I've become-  
-Erase myself, and let go of what I've done-_

Kaen smiled. "Because that's what normal kids do. However their minds rationalized it wasn't my concern at the time."

Kellre nodded; it made a lot of sense. There was, however, still one thing he was curious about. "But why did the twins say you yourself had played them?"

"Because I have," He shrugged, "And before you ask, there are two reasons I have. One, I kind of missed out on a normal childhood myself, and two, with the twins wanting to be like me, the only way I am guaranteed to make them change is to make them see me in a different light. I know for a fact that, in their minds, if I like something, it must be good, and therefore they'll like it."

Truniz grinned. "Using their own conditioning to de-condition them. The old men have taught you well."

Kaen shrugged half-heartedly, remarking, "I use the tools I'm given." Glancing at his mate once more before turning back to his old man, he added, "S'why I brought them to the club too. I mean, I don't expect them to grow up wanting to be a rock star or anything, but I want them to see that it's okay to not only have, but express emotions; that it's okay, even expected, to have friends, and the benefits that come from it; and to expose them to children that had a normal life, or at least something that passed for a normal life, so they'd have something to guide their change."

"Oh, so _that's_ why you asked me to encourage Leo to bring his family along!" Kat remarked, interrupting before she lost her sudden brainwave.

_-For what I've done-  
-I start again, and whatever pain may come-  
-Today this ends, I'm forgiving what I've done!-_

Kaen grinned slightly. "Yeah, pretty much. Granted, that didn't exactly go to plan, but if they made even one friend out of it, the plan was a success. Besides, Trunks and Goten need more social contact themselves, so it all works out."

Smiling softly over at her son, April asked gently, "Why couldn't you just tell us? You know we would've supported you in this, right?" She knew she was as much to blame for the twins being the way they were as anyone else, but unlike Avarrdo, all she had to blame it on was the death of her eldest son, and the reported death of her second; she'd never really handled Korin's death well, so she'd distanced herself from her children slightly so she wouldn't suffer like that again, a feeling only compounded when Kaen was also reported dead.

Nodding, Kaen smiled a little sheepishly before replying, "Yeah, I know, but I had to see if it was going to work first. Didn't exactly wanna get all of you involved if I was just setting myself up for failure."

"You've changed," Truniz stated after a few moments of silence, a sincere smile on his face. "The boy who left home to go to war would've never admitted that he couldn't do anything, and the man who came back wasn't all that much better."

Kaen just shrugged, replying simply, "Death has a way of reshuffling one's perspectives."

Giving him a confused glance, Krillin asked, "But you haven't died... have you?"

The teen just smirked, commenting flippantly, "And that, shortie, is the million zenni question."

_-I'll face myself, to cross out what I've become-  
-Erase myself, and let go of what I've done-_

"You stabbed me! You stabbed me with my own staff!"

"Get over it! I did what I had to do to keep you alive!"

"You didn't have to stab me! You could've just knocked me out."

"Would you like me to knock you out right now? Maybe I should stab you again!"

Gohan gave a tired sigh, covering his face with his hands. When had he become the responsible adult of the group? He was barely eighteen, by all rights he should be the one having the needless argument; but no, he was forced to be the responsible one, looking after four kids, all known troublemakers, and two immature adults.

In a weary voice, the teen remarked, "Now children, behave. Don't make me send you to your rooms without dinner for the rest of the war." It was an exceedingly pointless, and hollow, threat, but it had the desired effect of shutting them up. "Good. Now then, I don't care who did what to whom, or why. The most important thing right now is survival."

"What happened to everyone else on the Lookout?" Dende asked worriedly.

Clearing his throat, Oran replied in his father's patented lecturing tone, "Our theory is that they've been teleported onto the Icebreaker for their own safety until the conflict is over."

When Dende breathed a sigh of relief, Gohan continued, "We're gonna need more than a handful of people if the race is to survive, and for that we need the dragon balls. Do we have a dragon radar?"

_-What I've done!-_

"My mum's got it," Trunks remarked. "Goten's dad had Liran an' me fetch it, and I gave it to mum when we got back to the Lookout."

"There's one problem with that Gohan," Piccolo pointed out, "Bulma used the dragon balls to make a wish yesterday, so the balls are inert for the next four months."

Oran was impressed at the volume and variance of Saiyan curse words that issued forth from Gohan's mouth at that statement; he and his sister already knew most of them, of course, but the fact Gohan knew them was impressive all the same. Winding down after almost five minutes, the teen scrubbed a hand through his already messy hair, remarking sourly, "Well, there goes _that_ plan..."

Looking up at his brother, Goten asked, "What are we gonna do niichan?"

A deep rumbling laugh from behind them was his answer. "What are you gonna do?" Spinning around, they took in the sight of the horrid pink monster standing before them.

Majin Buu had returned.

_-Forgiving what I've done!-_

--

Author's notes:

Well, this one was a long time coming huh? And in the end, it wound up mostly filler anyway... I do appologise for that, I should've had this done at least a week ago. On the plus side, this extra time to think has given me a cool idea for how to spice up the next chapter, so, look forward to it. Hopefully, it won't take nearly as long as this one did...


	45. E05: Monster

-- Disturbance, Book 3: Endurance --

Chapter E05 - Monster

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

--

_-End this suffering-_

The group of seven watched the newly returned Majin Buu with a variety of emotions. For Goten and Trunks, the primary emotion was fear; they were young, having only been in one real battle before, which they lost, so having to face that monster again wasn't their most ideal option at this point.

Oran, who refused to feel fear on general principles if nothing else, was wary; they had Gohan on their side now, but the boy had learned never to rely too heavily on someone else. Lime was somewhere in the middle; she'd always tried to be like her brother, but she was never able to truly grasp her twin's unwavering faith.

Dende was nervous; Majin Buu had found him, and would no doubt be less than pleased by what he'd done earlier. Piccolo was quietly cautious. With six of the seven people present weaker than Buu, the wisened Namek was taking no chances. And Gohan...

Gohan was bored.

_-You made a monster of me-  
-Through all your wicked lies-_

'What is he playing at?' The teen mused to himself, watching the pink monster lazily. 'He knows I have him completely outclassed, yet he shows up here, no stronger than when he fled, where he's severely outnumbered. Why? What could he possibly hope to achieve?'

"Back for another whoopin' are you?" Gohan drawled, taking a few steps forward until he was between Buu and the rest of the group. "And here I thought we'd resolved that little conflict earlier. You can't beat me Pinko, and I know exactly how to beat you, so what's say we skip the warm-up and get right down to me destroying your sorry ass, hmm?"

"I'm not here for _you_ boy," Buu growled back, glaring at the teen before pointing a hand at the kids. "I'm here for them."

"Well that's a bit of a problem," Gohan remarked, "Because it's my fight now. They've played their part, and now it's my turn."

"What's the matter brats?" Buu sneered, completely ignoring Gohan, "I thought you were gonna 'take me down'? I thought you were going to 'make me pay for everything I'd done'? I thought you were going to 'show me what you were truly made of'? Looks to me like you're made of cowardice and failure!"

He was goading them, that much was painfully obvious. Unfortunately, Gohan noticed, it was working: Goten and Trunks were powering up slowly, and he could tell it was only a tightly clenched self-control that was preventing Oran from doing the same; that, and his sister holding him back.

_-Forever tortured by you-  
-Abandoned at death's door-_

"Don't." Gohan's voice cut through the air like a knife. "Stay out of this guys."

Buu let out a rumbling laugh, "Yes, run and hide. I'm sure your father would be so proud of you." Buu knew that line would strike a nerve with Trunks, and he wasn't disappointed; he was, however, a little surprised to see Goten affected by it too.

"Stop it you two!" Lime shouted, still resting a hand on her brother's shoulder to keep him calm. "He's just trying to rile you up."

"He killed my father!" Trunks shouted back. "I'm not going to stand around and do nothing when I can avenge him! Don't forget he killed your brother and sister too!"

Gritting her teeth at the barb, and silently asking herself what she saw in the lavender-haired child, she hissed, "Yes, thank you for that reminder, but it is _because_ of my brother that I am going to do exactly what he taught me to do, and that is to show respect to my elders, namely Gohan, and _not_ disobey his wish to stay the fuck out of this fight!"

_-Until I said no more!-  
-Don't look away-  
-You're just a former regret of mine-_

Staring down at the girl with ever ounce of princely might he had, Trunks retorted, "And _I'm_ going to do what my father taught _me_ to do."

It was here that Gohan, in his anger, made possibly one of the worst mistakes he could have made. Spinning around to face the boy, he barked, "I told you to stay out of this Trunks! I'm _not_ going to have someone else doing something stupid and throwing their life away needlessly like Vegeta did!"

"Go to Hell!" Trunks snarled, fanning his fingers before his face and shouting, "Solar Flare!" His eyes snapping shut to hide from the blinding white light, Gohan lunged for the boy, trying to stop him, but it was too late.

_-And when you want, just look away-  
-You're just a former regret of mine-  
-Erasing now-_

"Let's do this Goten!"

"Fusion Ha!"

"Damn it you meatheads!"

"Fusion Ha!"

By the time Gohan could see again, Goten, Trunks, Oran and Lime were all gone, and in their place was Gotenks, held in a headlock by Liran to keep him from attacking Buu. It was here, when it was far too late to stop it, that one fact became painfully clear.

It was a trap.

_-You made a rock star of me-  
-Gave me this wicked life-_

Laughing deeply, Majin Buu roared, "And now you're mine!" Without any further warning, a massive wall of pink goo erupted from a crack in the ground behind the two fused kids, and another from behind Piccolo. With mere seconds to act, Gohan had to choose which of the two he was going to save.

Drawing his sword, he coated the blade with ki once more as he dove towards Piccolo, slashing away at the pink goo trying to envelop him. Their connection to the magicks holding Buu together severed, the pink pieces of faux flesh fell limply to the ground as he sliced them off neatly, leaving Piccolo free. Spinning back to the kids, he was just in time to watch Liran become completely covered.

Gotenks lay sprawled on the ground nearby, staring in shock at the pink mass that almost ate him, and whispering softly, "Liran..." The girl had pushed him out of the way before it could get them both, but she couldn't stop herself being caught.

And as it turned out, she didn't need to.

A faint shout could be heard from inside the mass of pink goo, before a fountain of flames erupted out of the top of the cocoon, quickly spreading to consume the entire thing, revealing naught but flames inside. Flames with eyes.

_-Paid to be tortured by you-  
-A life I now abhor-_

"Liran?" Gotenks' voice questioned curiously.

The flames that made her form dying down to reveal the girl, she glanced down at him tiredly and stated, "Next time I tel you not to do something, would you just fucking _listen_?" The boy just nodded mutely.

Not wasting a second, Gohan flung his ki-coated sword at Majin Buu, and the pink monster, still too stunned that his plan had failed completely, had no time to react before the weapon speared him through the chest, wrenching a howl of pain from what passed for lips.

Smirking, Gohan clenched his outstretched hand, remarking, "Like the kid said, go to Hell." Splaying his fingers once more, he willed the ki to detonate, and detonate it did.

A massive explosion rocked the rocky terrain, as a shower of pink flesh rained from the sky. Blinking slightly as he glanced over at the crater that had once been Majin Buu, Gotenks commented, "Well, that was... dramatic."

"Uh, I hate to put a downer on the situation," Liran remarked, "But didn't Vegeta already try this, with minimal success?"

_-And still I say no more-  
-Don't look away-  
-You're just a former regret of mine-_

No sooner had the words left her mouth than the chunks of flesh began twitching. Quickly recalling his sword, Gohan fell into a loose stance, watching the Buu bits warily, expecting them to liquefy and flow back together at any moment, but what they did was infinitely more terrifying.

It started directly in front of them, where they could all see it. A piece of pink... whatever it was, growing first one arm, then a leg, then the second of each, before finally reshaping itself into a mini-Buu. Then another followed, and another, and another, until finally, the group of seven was surrounded on all sides by an army of tiny Buu's.

"Holy Hell!" Liran exclaimed, taking a step back towards Gohan, and thus, away from the Buulets; she was quickly followed by Gotenks.

"I... I saw it do this before," Piccolo remarked breathlessly, "When Vegeta blew Buu into thousands of pieces, they turned into tiny Buu's, and flew back together to reform the original."

The blade of his sword glowing white once more as he watched the Buu army take a step towards them, Gohan replied, "Something tells me these guys have no intention of forming the original just yet."

Gotenks watched in horror as the pink flesh sliced off Piccolo by Gohan earlier also began twitching and reshaping itself, despite being 'dead', and the remnants, and smoke, of the charred cocoon also began changing. "Um, guys... What do we do now?"

Throwing her arms out to either side, Liran summoned her chakram in a flurry of flame, clenching them tightly. Snarling, she launched one at an approaching Buulet, slicing it clean in half down the middle, before shouting, "Kill them! Kill them all!"

_-And when you want, just look away-  
-You're just a former regret of mine-  
-Erasing now-_

As the fight on the view screen resumed in earnest, Kaen calmly set his book down and walked over to his father, and by extension Kellre. Placing a hand on the older man's shoulder, he asked quietly, "Can we speak in private?" His voice was just loud enough to be heard by both older men, yet soft enough to be drowned out from everyone else's ears by the sound of combat.

'This must be a serious matter,' Avarrdo mused to himself, nodding but once at his eldest (living) son, and the three of them quietly walked into the hallway adjoining the bridge, collecting Pi along the way; Kaen had no intentions of keeping anything from her anymore, so it was simpler just to bring her along.

"What did you want to know?" Kellre asked, after a few moments silence while Kaen checked for eavesdroppers.

"The twins," he replied tersely, "They're my responsibility, so I need to know everything about their powers that you know. And don't try to tell me you don't know anything," he cut off the reaction he expected was coming. "I know the both of you well enough to know you would've done almost anything in your power to ensure you knew everything you could about it, and I need to know. I've earned the right to know."

The two older men shared a considering look before Kaen's father began. "I can't dispute you on that point my boy; you _have_ earned the right, and we'll tell you everything we know, however..."

"We don't know _much_," Kellre continued. "Don't misunderstand, we did all the research we could, but short of cutting their heads open and dissecting their brains, there was only so much we could learn."

_-Think over all of the shit in your mind-  
-Think over and come to grip with it-  
-Think over all of the shit in your little twisted sick mind-  
-All said-_

Nodding his acceptance to those terms, Kaen asked the first question plaguing his mind. "You said their psionic power is so great that if they believe they can do something, they can, correct? And, assumedly, the stronger that believe, the stronger the effect. Does that also apply to something they believe can be done, even by others?"

Putting a hand to his chin in thought, Avarrdo replied slowly, "Well, I surmise it _might_ be possible, if they believed strongly enough, but from what we gleaned, they themselves would need to have a vested interest in it for it to happen."

With another nod, Kaen asked his second question. "Does the reverse apply? If they believe they _can't_ do something, will they always fail to do it? And, by extension, if they believe strongly that something can't be done, will that something then be impossible?"

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Kellre asked curiously.

It was Pi that provided an example. "The twins have grown up with the belief that Kaen and I are stronger than them, and always will be. With all the power you said they possess, they should have well surpassed us by now, yet they've never even come close to beating either one of us. Is that just because they don't believe they can?"

The two older men nodded slowly. "Yes, that makes a good deal of sense," Kellre replied. "They believe you are stronger and faster than them, and so to them, you are. Conversely, they believe that through your training, they are stronger and faster than almost everyone else, and so they are. It's a precarious balance, one you will have to be careful to maintain. My question to you though boy is, why, out of all possible questions, did you ask that one?"

His face neutral, Kaen replied simply, "Because I should be dead."

_-Think over all of the shit in your mind-  
-Think over and come to grip with it-  
-Think over all of the shit in your little twisted sick mind-_

Were he anyone else, Avarrdo would have been gaping. "What do you mean by that boy? You brought Pi back, and she brought you here."

Kaen shook his head slowly. "I know how much energy I put into that attack dad. I know how much of an impact that should have had on my body. I pumped so much of my own life force into making Buu dead that I'm quite surprised I didn't burst into flame, or start disintegrating, or something."

"So what are you saying then?" Kellre asked carefully.

Sighing, Kaen replied, "I'm saying, by all rights I shouldn't have even survived long enough for Pi to reach me, let alone bring me back here. I should have been dead almost instantly, but I'm not."

"Kaen," his mate asked slowly, "What are you suggesting?"

"I'm suggesting," he commented grimly, "That maybe I survived purely because one, or both, of the twins believed I could; or, more accurately, believed I couldn't die."

Now that was a scary thought, but one that neither of the older men could find a fault in. "Oran." Avarrdo stated calmly; of course, if such a thing were true, it would've been the boy. He had an unwavering belief in his older brother's status as an immortal phoenix, and nothing could sway him from that.

"So what're we gonna do?" Pi asked almost fearfully.

Kellre shrugged. "What can we do?"

_-When you want, don't look away-  
-You're just a former regret of mine-_

"This isn't going so well," Gotenks shouted over the roar of battle. "My ki blasts just don't seem to be doing anything!"

Flinging both her chakram at approaching Buulets, and slicing them into smaller pieces, Liran held her hands out to either side, summoning her guns with an icy crackle, and throwing them absently to the boy before catching her recoiling weapons. "Use these. They're auto-reloading."

Bringing his ki-coated blade up to intersept an incoming Buulet, Gohan turned his head slightly towards Piccolo, shouting, "How're you doing back there?"

"It's no good." The Namek growled back, firing wave after wave of blasts at the incoming pink gribbleys. "They're just not dying!" Fortunately, neither Gohan nor Piccolo had to worry about running out of energy any time soon, because between the two of them stood Dende, healing them of any energy they lost, and they, in turn, protected the healer.

"Yeah..." Gohan's voice was grim. "It's not hard to knock 'em down, it's getting them to stay down that's the trick." (1)

"They're indestructable!" Liran remarked incredulously, as she watched the severed halves of Buulets she'd bisected forming even smaller Buulets. (1)

Glancing around the battlefield, Gotenks noticed that there were now many, many more Buulets than there was at the start of the fight. "And they're everywhere!" (1)

With a childish squeal, one of the Buulets launched itself at Gohan, the teen raising his aura to deflect it at the last second. However, instead of repelling the tiny monster, the Buulet plowed through it, being almost instantly vaporised, and resulting in a spray of pink dust and smoke being shot into the teen's unprotected eyes.

The Buulets grinned maliciously. The Saiyans had revealed a weakness.

_-And when you want, just look away-  
-You're just a former regret of mine-  
-Erasing now-_

"Oh man, this isn't good," Goku remarked, watching the fight through the Kai's crystal ball. "They're completely outnumbered."

"They can't win," Shin remarked defeatedly, "At this rate Buu will overwhelm them. He has limitless stamina; they do not."

"Hey, you can't give up that easily Supreme Kai," Goku replied in his usual cheerfully hopeful voice. "I mean, it's not like the kids are really using a lot of energy since they switched to weapons, and Gohan and Piccolo have got Dende keeping them topped up, so-"

"What are they doing now?" Kibito growled, watching a handful of Buulets seem to kamikaze themselves through first Gohan's aura, then through the flame aura that Liran had erected.

"That's weird," Goku remarked, scratching his head. "It's almost like they're killing _themselves_, but why would they..." He paused, watching Gohan clutch a hand to his eyes, before his widened in fear. "They're trying to blind them!"

"I'm afraid it's a lot worse than that Goku," Elder replied grimly, "They've found a way to kill them."

_-You made a monster of me-  
-Until I said no more-_

Gohan fell to one knee, gritting his teeth as he forcibly maintained his aura, his lungs burning as he fought the need to breath, lest he inhale Buu-smoke. Somehow, despite everything he threw at it, the smoke seemed to retain enough sentience to know that hovering around the teen's face was a sure-fire way to kill him; either he'd breath the smoke in, and Buu could kill him from the inside out, or he'd die from lack of air. Catch 22.

He could barely see through the pink haze, but he could tell that Liran and Gotenks had this massive pink cloud surrounding the pair of them, though fortunately they had kept moving enough to keep the cloud from suffocating them. Piccolo and Dende, however, he had no idea about, except that they were still fighting, or in Dende's case, healing.

Gohan knew, if he wanted to survive, he had but one shot, so he had to make it good. Placing a hand on his chest, he began focusing his energy, before taking a deep breath and shouting, "Masenko Ha!"

The orange beam fired out of his mouth, having been charged inside his body, and instantly annihilated the Buu-smoke that had been inhaled, before slicing straight through the cloud surrounding him. Twisting his head this way and that, he carved the cloud up, forcing it to disperse, before falling back to his knees as his lungs drew in precious oxygen.

_-Don't look away-  
-You're just a former regret of mine-  
_

A deep laugh resonated from above him, as Buu reformed from the leftover cloud. "Well done boy," he sneered, "I thought you were dead for sure. But while you've won this battle, I'm pleased to say you lost the war."

Before Gohan had even a moment to ponder that statement, there was a cry of surprise from the kids, as the cloud around them seemed to instantly solidify, rapidly spreading to cocoon them completely. A similar cry from behind him indicated that Piccolo too had been taken, but fortunately Dende, who had moved to heal Gohan, had been out of range.

"Come to me!" Buu shouted, as the two blobs of putty launched into the air, merging with Buu's main body, reforming it. When the shifting stopped, Gohan grit his teeth to bite back a gasp; Buu now wore the same vest as Gotenks. "Now then boy, what were you saying about you destroying me?"

Buu was right; he'd lost the war. Gotenks, Liran, and Piccolo had been taken.

_-Erasing now-_

--

Author's notes:

(1) I borrowed these lines from Transformers (the original 1984 movie)

I'm not entirely happy with the ending, but considering I wrote this chapter in, what, a week? I'm not exactly complaining.


	46. E06: Nothin's Gonna Stand In Our Way

-- Disturbance, Book 3: Endurance --

Chapter E06

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

--

_-The fortunate ones-_

A deep, resonating laugh worked its way out Majin Buu's mouth, as he felt his stolen powers. Yes, this was his birthright, for lack of a better term. He was the Omega, the ender of all things, and all things were destined to become part of him. This power was his by right.

The new memories, however, were a strange bonus. Because of how he had absorbed them, they were less part of him, and more captives, batteries, from which he could draw power. And techniques. And with those techniques, came memories.

'So, Goten is this pest's little brother, huh?' Buu mused to himself, sifting through the minds of his new toys. 'And the other brats belong to the three that killed themselves trying to destroy me. How... delicious.'

"Well kid," Buu sneered, deliberately using Piccolo's nickname for him, "What do you think?"

Clenching his teeth, and gripping his sword tight, Gohan replied slowly, "I _think_... that I'm going to enjoy cutting them out of your worthless hide."

Buu just laughed again. "Foolish boy! If you hurt me, you'll only wind up hurting them."

"I'll kill them before I let you keep them." Gohan's voice was as ice.

_-To be fast and free and young-  
-I want to count myself among-  
-The fortunate ones-_

"You really think you can?" Buu sneered again. "I have more power than you could possibly imagine!"

"I wouldn't count on that," Gohan replied flippantly, "I can imagine a lot of power. And I've barely scratched the surface in what I can do. Besides, I don't need to overpower you; not right away."

When Gohan said no more, Buu asked suspiciously, "What on Earth do you mean by that kid?"

The demi-Saiyan teen just grinned. "I know for a fact that the Fusion Technique only lasts thirty minutes, and with the fifteen or twenty they already spent trying to avoid being absorbed, I just need to survive ten or fifteen more until the Fusion ends. And believe me when I tell you, surviving, is my specialty."

_-We won't be denied-_

_'Uh, Gohan?'_ Dende's voice resounded in his head. _'Would now be a bad time for me to point out that Oran and Lime stated their fusion can last a whole hour?'_

If it wouldn't have given him away, Gohan would've slapped his forehead. _'Uh, yeah Dende, it kinda is.'_ He groaned back mentally. _'Fortunately, I know something else about the Fusion I picked up from watching the kids earlier: The higher level of Super Saiyan they attain, the shorter the fusion lasts.'_

He could almost feel Dende's joyous agreement. _'You're right! I mean, I don't know exactly how long they were fighting in the Time Chamber, but I'm pretty sure once she hit Super Saiyan Two, Liran's fusion was over in mere minutes!'_

_'Exactly,'_ Gohan mentally nodded. _'All I need to do to burn his time up faster is make him angry enough to over channel, and drain his 'Fusion Batteries' dry faster.'_

_'That's pretty risky Gohan; are you sure you can survive that?'_ He could feel Dende's concern the answer would be no.

Gohan just grinned back. _'With a healer on my team? No problem.'_

_-We know that time is on our side-  
-We've got the passion and the pride-  
-We won't be denied-_

The entire mental conversation took all of three seconds; a fortunate thing, considering how impatient Majin Buu was. "So boy," the monster sneered, "You think you can beat me?"

"I don't have to think it," Gohan replied smoothly, his sword becoming wreathed in white energy again, "I know it."

"So you're gonna use your weapon are you kid?" Buu grinned, a smirk on his face, He held his hands before him, almost as if he were holding onto a pole, before pink energy began swirling around him. With a brief flash of light, a long green shaft appeared, clenched in his hands, and as he moved it to one side, it became very obvious said shaft was topped with a two-to-three-foot pink scythe blade, the back and top end of which were spiked. "Then I guess I will too!"

Gohan had just enough time to think to himself, 'Holy hell! How did he get a scythe?' Before he was forced to duck, lest the charging Buu decapitate him. Rolling away to put a little distance between the monster and himself, he raised his weapon, preparing to parry the next strike.

This fight was just getting started.

_-This generations-  
-With fire in our eyes-_

"This is very bad." That pretty much summed up the thoughts of everyone on board the Icebreaker. For Earth's Finest, seeing Gohan having to fight against the combined powers of Majin Buu, Piccolo (both of whom they knew he could easily beat), Liran, and Gotenks, was more than enough to sow fear and doubt through the ranks.

It was considerably worse for the Icebreaker crew, and by extension Videl, because they knew exactly what powers Buu had now acquired. "That's not good at all," Kaen commented quietly, so only his family (and Videl) could hear.

The human girl, quickly catching on to the need for secrecy, remarked in a similar tone, "Buu having that weapon means he's using Liran's powers, doesn't it? That's beyond 'very bad' isn't it?"

"Well beyond 'Del," Kat breathed fearfully, "Now there's no telling what Buu could do..."

"If this fight doesn't go well for Gohan, we're interfering," Kaen stated firmly; the tone of his voice, and the direction, showed he was clearly speaking to his mate.

_-Strong are the ties that bind us-  
-We don't need no alibis-_

Glancing towards him, Pi replied, "But, you're not ready. If we go out there, there's a good chance you'll die! You can't put too much stress on-"

"If it goes bad, we're jumping in." Kaen's tone left no room for argument, though the slight smirk on his face revealed his hidden plan to her.

Like the proverbial light bulb, her face lit up, a matching smirk coming to her face as she interpreted him. "You're gonna use Liran against Buu. If _she_ can't defeat us, then _he_ won't be able to."

"You really think that'll work?" Videl asked, feared for the safety of her... wait, was Gohan her boyfriend? Eh, close enough.

Kaen nodded but once. "It'll work. They've never let me down yet."

Turning to his father, he found the old man already preparing the teleporter. It was the best plan they had, and Avarrdo wasn't going to waste time trying to talk his son out of it; not only was it all but impossible to change Kaen's mind at the best of times, it had the highest probability of success of anything he or Kellre could come up with, so it was worth a shot.

If Gohan, Kaen and Pi fell, they were all doomed anyway; it's not like they had anything else by way of reinforcements was it?

_-Nothing's gonna stand in our way-  
-Nothing's gonna stand in our way-  
-Nothing's gonna stand in our way-  
-Not tonight-_

"Oh man, he's getting killed out there!" Goku wailed, watching the battle between his son and the pink monster through the Supreme Kai's crystal ball.

"Buu's certainly got all the advantages," Elder remarked thoughtfully, rubbing his chin with one hand. "Faster, stronger, more stamina, more techniques, more collective fighting experience, and more experience fighting with a weapon too it seems."

"He's not doing too badly though," Shin offered hopefully. Despite Buu's supreme advantage, Gohan had yet to be hit by Buu's deadly pink weapon, and had even managed to land a few hits of his own, though the monster had healed them away.

Grunting sourly, Kibito remarked, "Buu's just toying with him. They haven't used a single fighting technique yet, and when that damn breaks, Gohan, and indeed the universe, is doomed."

_-We want it all-_

"I can't just sit by and watch as my son gets killed!" Goku shouted, rocketing to his feet. "I made that mistake once before, and I'm not about to stand by and do it again!"

"But what can you possibly do Goku?" Shin asked rhetorically. "You mustn't forget, you're dead, ergo, you have no chi. If you go back to Earth, you will be there for a matter of seconds - one minute, tops - before you are dragged back here by cosmic forces you would rather not tangle with."

The deceased Saiyan's face fell, as he replied weakly, "But I've got to do something..."

"Is that the only thing stopping you?" Elder asked, continuing on before anyone could reply. "That's easy fixed. I'll just give you my chi, and you'll be returned to life. Then you're free to go and do whatever you want."

His face brightening considerably, Goku cried hopefully, "You'd do that for me Elder?"

The old Kai waved a hand absently. "I'm old; life should be for the young. Besides, I'm a Kai, the rules work differently for us, and even if I needed to go somewhere - as unlikely as that is - I've got more than enough magic to sustain myself."

"Great!" Goku exclaimed excitedly, giving Elder his full attention. "So, what do I need to do?"

Smiling slightly at the Saiyan's enthusiasm, Elder replied simply, "Just stand there." The elder Kai's eyes slid closed, and for a moment, it looked like nothing happened, before a tingly sensation washed over Goku's body. To the outside observer, Goku's halo faded out, as one faded in over Elder's head. Nodding once, Elder remarked, "There, all done. Just don't waste it now."

"I won't Elder," Goku replied sagely.

_-And tonight we got the call-  
-We're running high but we won't fall-  
-We want it all-_

"Goku," Shin cut in quickly, "Majin Buu seems to have been, for lack of a better description, locked into a weapon battle with Gohan. When you show up there without one, it might 'unlock' him back into a techniques battle, and I fear you can't win that even with Gohan's help."

"Don't worry Supreme Kai," Goku grinned, placing two fingers to his forehead, "I've got a weapon on my own I can use."

"Wait Goku," Elder cried out suddenly. "Before you go, take these with you." He unclipped the earrings he wore and held them out to the newly revived Saiyan. At his questioning look, Elder explained, "These are Potara Fusion earrings, worn by us Supreme Kais for generations; yes, even you Shin, though your training appears to have been lacking in that regard. These earrings are capable of fusing two people together perfectly, if worn on opposing ears. Unlike that Fusion Dance of yours, this is a perfect merger of powers."

_-We won't be denied-_

"What's the catch?" Goku asked suspiciously, examining the strange purple earrings he now held. He knew there had to be one; there was _always_ a catch to anything this powerful.

Pausing briefly in his eager attempt to convince Kibito to try it with him, Shin turned to Elder as the aged Kai explained, "They are to be used as a last resort only, as the fusion they bring... Is permanent."

"Whoa, not good." Goku remarked, stuffing the earrings in one of the many hidden pockets of his gi. "I really hope it doesn't come to that; I don't think Chichi or Videl would forgive me if Gohan and I ceased to exist separately." Placing two fingers against his forehead again, Goku focused his mind on his destination, and without another word, vanished.

_-Like a breaker at high tide-  
-We're gonna take this sweet joy ride-  
-We won't be denied-_

Majin Buu was very swiftly getting annoyed with... well, everything, but specifically, Gohan; more specifically, the fact he had yet to so much as graze Gohan with his scythe. The instinctual, animal part of his mind was wondering why he was even bothering with the weapon in the first place, but it was overridden.

Something even Majin Buu himself didn't know about how he had absorbed those three, was that their personalities changed his own to varying degrees, based on the strength of their psyche: from Piccolo, he gained strategic thinking; from Gotenks, impulsiveness; but from Liran, oddly the strongest psyche, he had gained something of a, for lack of a better description, code of honour.

Because Gohan had drawn his weapon, Majin Buu was psychologically not capable of 'breaking the rules' of the engagement, being forced to fight weapons with weapons. However, something else he was not aware of, was that the dominant psyche could change, and the angrier he got, the more Gotenks took over.

Eventually, the balance had to break, and with the proverbial 'snap, Buu shouted, "That's it! No more games!" Swiping his scythe forward, he unleashed a 'bladed' wave of pink energy towards Gohan, and while the teen was distracted with dodging that, used his other hand to fire three rings of ki towards him, binding him around the shoulders, hips, and ankles.

_-Grew expectations-  
-Moments in the sun-_

Buu grinned at his helpless prisoner, mocking him. "Galactic Donut. That particular technique came from your brother. How does it feel to know your own flesh and blood is going to be responsible for your death?"

"Well," Gohan replied slowly, "I always knew the little tyke would be the death of me some day."

The grin fell, as Buu raised his scythe to the fore, charging forward and shouting, "Say goodbye!"

A very familiar black boot impacted with the side of Buu's head, before an equally familiar voice remarked, "Goodbye." Raising one hand, Son Goku, returned to the mortal plane, fired a blast towards the swiftly receding monster.

Normal people, in such a situation, may have proceeded to thank their saviour. Others still may have asked how said saviour was now alive, when they had been dead not one hour ago. These people were not Son Gohan. "I recognize that kick," The teen commented simply, rotating his shoulders; the ki bonds had faded as soon as Buu'd lost his concentration.

"It's one of Piccolo's."  
"I thought so; he used it against Frieza."  
"Yeah... Good times."  
"We should probably stop the homicidal monster shouldn't we?"  
"Yes, _I_ should. You, on the other hand, have an appointment with the healer."

_-We've waited all our lives-  
-And now we know our time has come-_

"You make a fine point." Exhaustion was quickly catching up with the teen. Yawning once, he tapped his newly revived father's shoulder, remarking, "Tag, you're it." Floating slowly down to the ground, Gohan all but flopped onto the soil, content to watch his father kick some ass while he recovered. "You got a plan?"

"Yup." The happy-go-lucky fighter remarked, flaring into Super Saiyan 2. "I'm not sure if any of my strongest attacks are capable of beating Buu, and I don't want to risk going into level three in case my body can't handle it, so I'll keep him busy until you're recovered, and keep him distracted while you kill him." With a flick of his wrist, he produced a blast from the past Gohan hadn't seen since he was a kid; the Power Pole.

Spinning it around like a propeller, he remarked, "Guess I better go tend to our guest," before charging off. With every rotation, the Power Pole extended that little bit further, and, following his son's trend, he charged the weapon with his ki. By the time Buu had climbed to his feet and turned to face the approaching Saiyan, the Power Pole whipped out and cleaved him clean in half, from the crotch up.

"Ouch," Dende remarked, walking to up heal Gohan. "I don't care whether he actually had anything there or not, that had to hurt."

Pulling himself together again, Buu cried incredulously, "You cheated! You didn't call for it to extend!"

Goku just smirked; clearly he was using Piccolo's memories now. "Oh you'll get over it."

_-Nothing's gonna stand in our way-  
-Nothing's gonna stand in our way-  
-Nothing's gonna stand in our way-  
-Not tonight-_

If Gohan's calculations were true, and they usually were, Gotenks had one minute left of fusion if they were lucky, and six if they were unlucky. Unfortunately, he couldn't afford to spend any more time on the bench; in his Super Saiyan 2 state, it was only his father's tenacity and unpredictability that was preventing Buu from stomping him into the ground. It was time for father and son to tear it up together.

Re-igniting his weapon, Gohan powered up to his limit, placing two fingers to his forehead and concentrating; if he was going to do this right, he'd need to teleport behind Buu, which meant being on the opposite side of his father. Locking onto his desired destination, he disappeared with the slightest of whistles, warping in behind the battling duo, and, wasting no time, slashed his weapon along the monster's back.

Howling in pain, Buu swung around to cleave the teen in half, swinging his scythe in a massive arc, but Gohan deftly parried the deadly weapon, swatting it aside like an annoying fly. With Buu's attention diverted, this left Goku the perfect opportunity to strike the monster repeatedly from behind; an opportunity he didn't waste.

When Buu's attention switched back to Goku again, this left Gohan, armed and very dangerous, at Buu's exposed back, and he began carving Buu up like a turkey. And so the first game of Buu-pong began, Goku and Gohan virtually batting Buu between them as he struggled to fend off attacks from both sides. Eventually, however, as Gohan managed to sever one of Buu's arms, the monster's anger finally got the better of him.

_-Nothing's gonna stand in our way-_

Venting steam in his mockery of a power-up, Buu let out a primal roar, unleashing a wave of violent pink energy to drive both Sons away from him, the Power Pole being wrenched from Goku's grasp to clatter against the dirt below. Twisting around unnaturally, Buu planted first one foot into Goku's midsection, winding the elder Saiyan, then axe kicking him to the ground with the other. Simultaneously, he lashed out at Gohan with his head tail, sharpening it to a point, and stabbing Gohan in his left shoulder.

Crying out in pain, Gohan released his sword to clutch the wounded shoulder, as he hit the dirt hard. Buu's attack had struck the exact same place as Cell's attack had all those years ago; Gohan's Achilles Heel. Something Piccolo knew all too well. Glaring up at the furious monster, Gohan took pride in the fact the wounds they had inflicted weren't healing, slowly rotting away the putty substance the creature was constructed from; a pity, then, that he didn't have enough time to inflict any more of them.

_-This generations-  
-With fire in our eyes-_

"Now you die boy!" Buu shouted, rearing back and taking in a deep breath, before exhaling a long string of white clouds, all of which reshaped themselves into legless mini-Buu's; this had all the hallmarks of one of Gotenks' moves, the teen realised with a groan. "Super Ghost Kamikaze Attack!"

As the ghosts literally screamed their way towards him, Gohan had to wonder if his father would be able to finish the monster off; he needn't have bothered. In an unexpected turn of events, Dende raced past the fallen teen, throwing his hands out in front of him and shouting, "Shield!" A green wall of energy formed around the two of them moments before the ghosts struck, and though it shuddered against the rain of blows, the shield held.

"Foolish boy!" Buu growled; it wasn't sure now which 'boy' he was referring to, Gohan or Dende. "How long can your shield possibly hold? I can do this all day." As if purely to spite him, the vest he wore shifted rapidly to a different colour; this time, it matched Liran's vest, as the matching undershirt that appeared attested to.

"Or not," Gohan quipped, a grin coming to his face. "Looks like Gotenks just ran out of time. It won't be too much longer until Liran does the same." He hoped.

_-Strong are the ties that bind us-  
-We don't need no alibis-_

Buu just grinned. "You still don't get it yet, do you boy?" He inclined his head towards his missing arm. "There's a reason I didn't call this back, you know." A cry of surprise drew his attention, and he watched in horror as his father was encased in pink goo, something - no, two something's - falling to the ground as the cocoon almost covered him. It was only the briefest of mental messages that passed the knowledge of what, exactly, his father had dropped _was_, before he was completely consumed.

As the pink putty merged back into Buu's main body, Gohan watched as the arm regrew, and the festering wounds were healed over, his entire torso reshaping, until he wore a copy of his father's gi; the top half, at least. Laughing deeply, Buu cried jubilantly, "Ah, now this. _This_ is power! I had wanted to draw this out more, hurt you more, but you've already proven quite the thorn in my side. Besides, I think you having to watch as I consumed your beloved brother and father, and knowing that their power will be used to kill you, will hurt you far more than any technique." Cupping his hands to one side, he shouted, "Time to die! Kamehameha!"

_-Nothing's gonna stand in our way-_

A veritable wall of blue ki slammed into Dende's shield, and the minor God threw everything he had into it. Wincing slightly as he sat up, Gohan asked tiredly, "I don't suppose you're gonna be able to heal me are you?"

"Sorry Gohan," Dende replied through grit teeth, "If I so much as move from this spot, the shield will shatter."

A defeated smile came to the teen's face. "I thought as much. Well, we gave it a good run didn't we?"

_-Nothing's gonna stand in our way-_

"Surely you're not giving up already are you Gohan?" A new voice declared, a split second before either Dende or Gohan noticed that the thundering noise of the Kamehameha trying to punch through the shield had stopped. Glancing up at the source of the voice, Gohan noticed a humanoid blue figure in the path of the beam, stopping it dead in it's tracks without so much as using it's hands. "This party's just getting started!"

Cutting the flow to the beam, Buu stared at the blue figure, revealed now to be made of blue flames, with a mix of horror and wonder, breathing, "No, it can't be..."

_-Nothing's gonna stand in our way-_

"Oh but it can," the figure replied, before the flames faded, revealing a very familiar smirking visage. "Rejoice. For very bad things are about to happen." (1)

"Kaen?" Gohan felt hope rising once more. He was right; this party was just getting started.

_-Not tonight-_

--

Author's notes:

(1) - This is from a webcomic called Looking For Group.

Man, I should've had this done _ages_ ago. I mean, it's been mostly written for at least two weeks, I've just been so swamped recently that I never had a chance to finish it. But it's done now, and the next chapter is already underway.


	47. E07: Indestructible

-- Disturbance, Book 3: Endurance --

Chapter E07 - Indestructible

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

--

_-Another mission-  
-The powers have called me away-_

Kaen smirked as he watched the waring emotions on Majin Buu's face. The monster seemed half excited, and half terrified; clearly, blowing him into atoms had left a lasting impression. More importantly, however, Kaen could see that even with Goku now a part of Buu, his brother was still in there somewhere.

Which meant this plan just might work.

Clenching his fists, Buu cried out, "You again?!"

"Not again; still," Kaen jibbed back, a grin on his face. "'Again' implies our match actually ended, but seeing as how neither of us died, that means our fight's still going."

_-Another time-  
-To carry the colours again-_

"You can't beat me this time boy," Buu sneered, "I know you're not going to be able to do that Super Saiyan Three trick again, so I'm stronger than you can ever hope to be."

"That's certainly true," Kaen replied conversationally, "I won't be able to reach the third level. Not that I'll _need_ to."

This barb caused Buu to start quivering with rage, before a thoughtful smirk spread across his features. "Trying to rile me up isn't going to work boy," Buu remarked casually, "But I'm in a rare good mood. Call it sportsmanship, or curiosity, but I'm going to let you and the boy use those fusion earrings Goku dropped. I want to see what happens."

Forcing himself to his feet, Gohan called out telepathically, _"I think we're going to have to do it... There's no other way we'll be able to defeat him."_

_-My motivation-  
-An oath I've sworn to defend-_

"Sorry, no can do," Kaen replied to both at once. "Pi would surely kill me if I fused with anyone but her. And I'm pretty sure Chichi would kill me for corrupting her little boy." That was a double-edged statement. He was telling Gohan that, if he fused with him, there was a good chance they would no longer be 'good' enough to destroy Buu once and for all.

"You think you can defeat me alone boy?" Buu sneered.

"What makes you think he's alone?" A new voice asked, preceding the sound of rock cracking, and a green flash. For the briefest instant, a hulking green form could be seen, before the light faded to reveal a familiar smirking female face.

"You?!" Buu screeched incredulously, "You're supposed to be dead?"

_-To win the honour-  
-Of coming back home again-_

"Am I not?" Pi quipped back, looking over herself quickly to mock him. "Huh, would you look at that? Guess you're too weak to kill either one of us for too long."

That was a loaded statement, and Buu stepped right into the trap. "What do you mean 'for too long'?"

"The dragon balls are a wonderful thing, aren't they?" Kaen replied conversationally. "Truly, you can wish for almost _anything_, if you phrase it right."

"You wished for eternal life?" Buu was starting to be afraid. This was a good sign.

_-No explanation-  
-Will matter after we begin-_

"Why would we want to live forever?" Kaen replied. "Me personally, I always thought that returning from the dead whenever you get killed is a _much_ better wish for a Saiyan." Kaen couldn't lie. This was almost as solid a fact as the sun rising in the east. However, he _could_ string together non-related statements into an elaborate bluff.

Had either of them made a wish on the dragon balls? Only on Flute's set, and even then only twice: once when they'd helped him find them, and again a month ago when all that shit went down. Not wanting to live forever, and thinking consistent returning from the dead was better than eternal life, were both independent statements from the dragon balls being amazing. However, when thrown into the same context, it made a wonderful lie.

"So what?" Buu spat. "I'll just keep killing you, every time you come back! I'll kill you until you die from it!"

"I think not," Pi replied, striding over to stand beside her mate, as he descended towards the ground. "We're going to tear you apart."

_-Another dark destroyer-  
-That's buried within-_

"Oh? And how are you going to do that?"

The pair smirked, replying in synch, "We're going to show you the power of a true, perfect fusion! Fusion Ha!" Before the monster could so much as blink, they had gone through the motions, and were engulfed in a blinding white light. The fighter revealed when the light died down had Kaen's unruly locks, and a ponytail trailing halfway down his back. This was a figure both Buu (through Oran and Lime) and Gohan had heard about. One not seen in this universe for close to forty years.

"Kai," Buu breathed fearfully, clutching his scythe before him, like a cross to ward off evil.

"I see my reputation precedes me," the twin voices of Kai remarked, holding his hands out to either side and giving the monster a mock bow. A brief flare of fire erupted from each palm, before the fused warrior closed his hands around a pair of swords eerily familiar to Kaen's, with a few minor differences; colour and the like. "It's time to show you what happens when you mess with the family of a true Saiyan Elite!"

_-My true vocation-  
-And now my unfortunate friend-_

"You think I'm scared of you, boy?" Buu asked dryly. "Don't forget Goku knows all about the fusion dance. You've combined with someone who can only reach the first level of Super Saiyan, so you've actually _lowered_ your maximum."

Kai sighed, holding one hand to his forehead and muttering, "One who knows nothing can understand nothing..." Looking up at Buu again, he continued, "Look, let me break this down for you. Kaen is a Super Saiyan Three; that much you know. What you _should_ know is that Pi is almost _exactly_ as strong. The only difference is that she is yet to break through the level two and three barriers"

With a shrug, he added, "Sure, _she_ can't become a Super Saiyan Two or Three, but _I_ have no such problems; I have the knowledge and ability provided from Kaen, and enough power from both halves to do whatever the hell I want."

_-You will discover-  
-A war you're unable to win-_

A very noticeable tic developed in Buu's right eye. "So what?!" The monster shouted, "All I need to do is live out the half an hour - or less - it takes until your fusion wears off, then I'll just kill you again!"

"Wrong again buddy-boy," Kai jeered, flipping his swords around so the blades rested against his forearms. "Pi and Kaen share the same soul. That's the power of the Saiyan bond, to merge two souls into one, which is why memories are shared; your memories define your soul. With the bond, Kaen and Pi are quite literally one person in two bodies. **No one** knows the limit of our fusion."

Kai hadn't really intended to tell Buu all that, but the sudden appearance of doubt on his ugly pink face was far too delicious to pass up. Wasting no more time on words, Kai charged towards Majin Buu, and the battle for Earth began anew.

_-I'll have you know-  
-That I've become...-_

Watching the battle through the view screen, Videl had but one question about all of this: "Can Kaen and Pi really remain fused forever?"

"Beats me," Truniz replied with a shrug, pre-empting the other two elder Saiyans, "I'm still tryin' to get over the fact that silly dance actually _works_. I mean, I heard the stories, but..."

"It does sound feasible though," Kellre supplied.

"So wait," Bulma asked, a touch of curiosity entering her voice, "You guys had never actually seen it work before?"

_-Indestructible-_

"Well, once," April admitted. "Oran and Lime were so excited that they'd been taught something new they wanted to show us; and by 'us', I mean just Avarrdo and I. They fused, went and trained for an hour, and that was that."

Silence descended upon the group for a moment, as they watched the fight down on Earth with a rising hope, before Videl broke it again, asking slowly, "So is that... Is that really the way this 'bond' thing works?" The human girl really wanted to know, for... fairly obvious reasons.

"More or less," Raene replied with a shrug. "It's different for everyone, but the basics are mostly correct. It's not really something you can describe with words."

_-Determination that is incorruptible-_

"Of all of us, though," Kellre added, "Kaen and Pi have delved the deepest into how, precisely, the bond works." In actual fact, it had been one of Kaen and Pi's alternate selves that had experimented with the bond, as they'd explained when Kaen got out of the tank, but the humans didn't need to know that just yet.

"So they really might be able to remain fused forever?" Krillin asked, a touch of awe and wonder in his voice.

Avarrdo just smiled cryptically. "Well, I wouldn't think so, but if it can be done, they would be the couple to do it."

_-From the other side a terror to behold-_

Gohan watched in awe as Kai and Buu fought, though a more accurate description would be that Kai attacked, and Buu blocked; the monster hadn't a chance to do anything else since the fight had begun. 'Damn,' he mused to himself, as he felt his wounds knit themselves back together, thanks to Dende's healing technique. 'I knew he was good with a sword, but this is something else.'

The only way he could think to describe it was that Kai's swords were a part of him, an extension of his very body. He didn't fight like he was wielding a pair of swords; they just blended seamlessly into his fighting style. He held them in such a way his arms resembled a praying mantis, and he was vicious and unrelenting in his assault.

The teen had to admit, however begrudgingly, that he was impressed.

Buu, however, was not. Having been forced onto the defensive ever since the fight began, he was very swiftly getting infuriated with his opponent. Plus his arms hurt from blocking all those attacks, and he didn't even know they _could_ hurt! He was a hair's breadth away from snapping, when Kai suddenly stopped.

_-Annihilation will be unavoidable-_

The fused Saiyan sighed disgustedly, remarking, "You bore me. I thought I'd finally found a worthy opponent in you, with all your stolen power, but I've eaten steaks that've put up more of a fight than you have."

"Oh?" Buu growled irritably, "And what are you going to do about it?"

Grinning, Kai held his arms, or more specifically, his swords, out to either side, and with the slightest of ki flares, the orange spheres on the hilt of both swords began glowing. When he released the weapons, they continued floating in mid air, gravitating towards his shoulders and hovering behind them like steel wings. "I'm going to make things interesting," he replied, throwing his arms out again, as blades of black ki formed around his hands.

Buu had just enough time to think the very human thought of 'Oh shit!' before Kai charged towards him, lashing out with the ki-wrought katar. The monster swung his scythe up in time to block the first blade, and angled it just right to block the second, but that left him wide open to the two hovering swords, now coated in blue fire, that raked through his pink flesh.

_-Every broken enemy will know-_

Buu forced himself back a few feet, gasping as he held a hand over his two new wounds. 'Why aren't they healing properly?' the monster thought to himself, willing his body to force them shut. He felt, for lack of a better word, drained.

"You like that?" Kai grinned, the two swords spinning around behind him. "Soulfire. You know, I really should thank you. It was due to you that I'm at full power now; when you tried to kill Gohan with that blast, I was able to use it to recharge myself." Smirking, dropped into a fighting stance, adding, "Let's see how long you can continue to function when I drain all your energy away, shall we?"

Without another word, Kai blasted towards the demon, resuming his unrelenting assault, and despite his speed, his strength, and the years of combined fighting experience he had from all those he absorbed, Buu could not possibly block more than three out of any four simultaneous attacks, and the Soulfire swords, and Hellfire blades, were slowly sapping his energy.

Thinking fast, Buu quickly back-pedalled, keeping himself out of reach of Kai's blades; though the free-floating swords could still reach him, as long as he flew backwards at the same speeds Kai flew forwards, he could easily block the two weapons. That plan worked right up until one of the black blades embedded into his arm.

_-That their opponent had to be invincible-_

A grin on his face, Kai yanked on the black ki chain extending from his hand, ripping the black blade free. "Surprised?" He asked cockily, the second blade extending from a similar chain. "You didn't really think it'd be that easy did you?" Without waiting for a reply, he whipped one of the ki chains towards the monster, the bladed head slashing him across the chest, as the attack resumed with gusto.

'Almost there' Kai could feel it. Buu was getting weaker and weaker with every strike, and with less energy to spend blocking, more and more strikes were connecting. When the demon was weak enough, he lashed out with a spin kick, knocking Buu's scythe aside so he could no longer block with it, and almost wrenching it from his grasp.

Spinning in place like a tornado, Kai swung all four weapons around in series, slicing and dicing the defenceless monster, the force of the blows actually causing Buu to turn full circle, and receive wounds on all sides of his body. Finally, Kai had enough of playing around with the monster, whipping the blades out one more time, and, when they dug into Buu's shoulders, detonated them, blowing Buu's arms clear off.

Cupping his hand sin front of him, Kai intoned, "It's time to end this game." Flicking his head, he willed his swords to float in front of him, coming to rest next to each other with the orange crystals just on either side of his hands, the tips of the blades pointed towards Buu. Then, like some bizarre magitech turbine, the swords began spinning around, slowly at first, then picking up speed until they formed almost a tunnel; or a barrel.

_-Take a last look around while you're alive-_

Focusing his energy, the orange ball of ki between his hands began to pulse, then stretched out to full the sword-barrel, forming a bar of solid energy. It took maybe five seconds at most, but the attack was ready, and now packed enough punch to blow the sun up, if he so wished it. "Volcano Blast!" The swords opened up, and a veritable wall of energy was released, ready to erase every last trace of Buu.

The monster, however, had other ideas. In a sudden burst of energy, the severed arms, one still holding the scythe, reanimated and shot back tot he body. However, rather than reattaching, or blocking, the incoming blast, the hand holding the scythe severed Buu's head off his body, as the free hand grabbed his head-tail and threw his head clear of the blast, moments before the body was completely obliterated.

Buu's head let out a deep, mocking laugh, as the pink putty stuff that comprised him flowed out of his neck-hole, fairly rapidly reforming his body. "Nice try boy," Buu sneered, his regrowth almost complete, "But I saw through your plan. Why else would I not regenerate? I concentrated all my energy into my head, knowing you would try to destroy me."

Kai, however, was not phased by the fact his plan failed; truth be told, he didn't think it's be that easy anyway. Instead, he just mused to himself, 'So, it seems he's adapted Piccolo's regenerative ability. Now he can regrow from any wound quickly if his head's intact. The reverse, then, may also be true; destroy the head, destroy the monster.'

_-I'm an indestructible master of war-_

"You'll never beat me, boy," Buu jeered, his body now completely restored. "I know how you think. I know all your tricks."

"That may well be true," Kai admitted with a shrug; planning had never exactly been Kaen's strong point, a fact both his brother and sister knew well. They also knew almost exactly how he thought, except on a few issues he had yet to correct them on, like how to live in peacetime. He did, however, have a foolproof plan. "But there's one mind you can't crack; not even _I_ could."

Buu cracked one hairless eyebrow. "Oh? And who is that?"

Kai grinned, clasping his hands before him as though praying, before he was engulfed by a white flash. When the light died down, Kai was gone, and in his place someone entirely different. Someone female.

_-Another reason-  
-Another cause for me to fight-_

She wore a variation of the black fusion vest, but bound together across the middle with a cross of orange straps, to match the orange trim, but unlike Liran's fusion, she wore no undershirt. The usual white baggy pants were gone, and in their place were fairly form fitting black pants. Adorning her feet were a pair of leather-look black boots, with an inch-high heel.

Gaping in shock, and a good touch of fear, Buu asked, "Who... Who are you?!"

"You know, I've asked myself that exact same question before," she replied; her voice sounded much like Kai's, though the female voice was more prominent this time. "I'd tossed up several names, and for a while, I took a liking to Pan; short, simple, just like my other half. However, for this situation, I have something much more appropriate in mind."

"What's that?"

Reaching behind her, she withdrew a strange cylindrical object, about a foot long, capped at both ends by what looked like large claws, and clutched it with both hands. "My name, is Paine." Giving the object a twist, a blade shot out each end of it, almost entirely straight-edged, save for the slight flair at the tip, and revealing the object to be what was known as a butterfly, or two-ended, sword. "And it's time for your lesson."

_-Another fuse uncovered-  
-Now, for me to light-_

"Okay, I'm lost," Videl remarked, turning to face the older Saiyans - the most likely people to know what was going on - and asking, "What the hell just happened?"

"Remarkable," Avarrdo commented, not entirely in answer to Videl's question. "They managed to switch their own dominant mind."

The human girl blinked. "Uh... Come again?"

It was Kellre who responded. "From what we have observed about the Fusion Technique, and keep in mind this is all speculation, but the mind and personality created is a combination of the two people involved. However, one mind is always more dominant than the other, as in any combination of anything, and it is this dominant mind that appears to determine appearance, among other things."

_-My dedication-  
-To all that I've sworn to protect-_

"With two people of the same gender, the difference between the dominant and recessive mind is fairly small," Avarrdo continued, "As can be seen with Gotenks; by appearances, he inherited more of his looks from Trunks, but his personality was more Goten. With Liran, however, there was a very noticeable difference. Lime was definitely the dominant mind in that fusion, both in appearance, and personality."

"I think I understand what you're getting at," Videl interjected suddenly. "You're saying that Kai, as we could see, was more Kaen than Pi, and somehow they've found a way to reverse this, and that by reversing this balance, Kai changed into Paine."

Kellre smiled; yes, this girl had a sharp mind. He would have to see to it that she, and Gohan, received more technical training after all this was over. "Exactly. It will be interesting to see what differences there are between the two."

A grin spread across Truniz's face. "So, what my brother just said, in a very long way, is that this is going to be one hell of a fight."

_-I carry out my orders-  
-With not a regret-_

A smile came to rest upon Paine's face as she and Buu fought; though 'fought' may not have been the textbook description for the ass-whopping she was dishing out. Butterfly sword in hand, she didn't battle in the traditional sense: there was no jerky movements, no rush of attacks. Just one attack, constantly changing, constantly adapting.

Paine didn't fight. She danced.

She'd yet to land a blow though. With only two blades, both of them on either end of the same weapon, Buu seemingly had no trouble blocking all of her attacks, despite the constant flow. A fact he sneered a reminder to her about. "Is that the best you can do, girl? Pathetic!"

_-A declaration-  
-Embedded deep under my skin-_

Paine tuned out his attempt at taunting; he wasn't very good at it. And besides, she'd deliberately not hit him, to cause him to let his guard down. Which he did. And she was right there to capitalize.

Spinning around to attack with the top (left) blade, she aimed for the scythe instead of the monster, throwing enough force behind it to knock the weapon aside. Continuing the spin, she pressed a discrete button located just next to her pinkie finger, and the back end of the butterfly sword detached, flying blade first towards Buu, and stabbing directly through his head right up to the hilt.

"Surprise asshole!" Paine grinned, twisting her grip on the sword she still held to reveal the silvery ki chain still connecting the two. Moments later, she sent a gout of flame careening down said chain, where it erupted into a massive conflagration and annihilated Buu's head. With a flick of her wrist she recalled her weapon, swinging it around for a few seconds before catching it with her other hand. "Sword chucks, yo."

_-A permanent reminder-  
-Of how we began-_

"It's attached by a _chain_?" Kellre drawled, with the closest to incredulity he'd ever expressed in his voice. "I know I always taught her about using the element of surprise, but..." Turning to Avarrdo, he added, "This reeks of your sloppy teachings."

Avarrdo would've refuted that remark, if it didn't sound so much like something he would've done; he hadn't, but hey, he was a scientist, and taking credit for things that weren't his doing came with the territory. "Sloppy? What's more surprising than attacking your opponent with an unorthodox weapon when they believe they're out of range?"

"Coping a blade to the face when it misses?" Truniz offered 'helpfully'

"Uh, guys?" Videl interrupted, staring at the screen. "I don't think she's gonna have that problem."

_-No hesitation-  
-When I am commanded to strike-_

Paine wasn't entirely surprised when Buu's head regrew; annoyed, and maybe a little disappointed, yes, but not too surprised. 'Damnit!' She growled to herself, throwing herself back into the fight with a lot more anger. 'Destroying the body doesn't work, destroying the head doesn't work, and I'm having serious doubts about whether destroying all of it will do any different. Looks like it's time for Plan B.'

With a growl rising in her throat, Paine's two swords became wreathed in white flame. "I grow tired of these games," she intoned coldly, lashing out with her weapons; they carved cleanly through Buu's scythe, the intense flames quickly consuming the remains, until all that was left was pink molten slag, and ash.

Whirling the still-flaming weapon around her head, the chain extending with each rotation, Paine hurled the weapon at the pink monster while he was still too stunned to react. Like a bola, the two swords swung around Buu's form repeatedly, wrapping around his neck, binding his arms, and stopping just short of his legs, when one blade stabbed into his neck, and the other what passed for a crotch.

Squeezing one hand into a fist, the fused girl commented dryly, "Boom." With a rapidly building, high-pitched whine, the weapon exploded into a brilliant, violent white light, the force of the explosion rocking the earth for a good minute, and sending Buu parts scattering in all directions.

_-You need to know-  
-That you're in for the fight of your life-_

When the roar of the explosion died down, Paine surveyed her handiwork with a sense of satisfaction; she knew the monster wasn't dead, but blowing him into chunks was still very, very satisfying. "Pull yourself together," she ordered, "I know that didn't kill you."

Sure enough, the pink pieces began to liquefy, flowing back to reform Buu's body entirely; the last thing to form was the self-satisfied smirk on his face. "You see girl?" He jeered, "You can't hope to defeat me."

Ignoring him, she remarked dryly, "I'm a little tired of chopping you up." She cupped her hands near her right hip, an odd red-and-purple fireball forming between her hands. "Thought I might try fire, for a change." Throwing her hands forward she shouted, "Gallic Inferno!"

Buu's eyes widened as the blast approached, a rich purple core surrounded by intense red flames. He dived out of the way at the last second, watching the red shell explode in a mushroom cloud; what he didn't expect, however, was the wave of energy that washed over him when the inner core detonated into a cross-shaped explosion.

_-You will be shown-  
-How I've become...-_

Paine grinned as she watched the scorched Buu emerge. "Ya like that?" She jeered. "I've got plenty more where that came from. I've got more attacks than you've eaten candy, and I plan on showing you all of them. Painfully." Unless she missed her guess, Paine had about ten minutes of fusion left, assuming that tripe she'd spouted earlier about being able to remain fused forever wasn't actually true; unlikely, but an amusing thought all the same.

Twitching, Buu growled with rage, the tip of his head tentacle glowing slightly. Swinging it over his head, he aimed the tip at the fused girl, shouting, "Turn to candy!"

Paine yawned as the beam approached, snapping her fingers and mouthing a word no-one heard; not because she spoke silently, but because the second the air left her lungs, the world around her ground to a halt. "Stop."

Floating lazily around the now-stationary pink beam, she paused in front of Buu, placing her hands on her hips as she tsk'ed. "You really are pathetic aren't you?" Smacking him about a bit, she grabbed one of his arms and hurled him in front of his own beam, before snapping her fingers again, and time resumed.

_-Indestructible-_

The pink monster had just enough time to gape comically at the incoming beam, and give a shocked "What the f-" before he was struck by his own attack, disappearing in a puff of smoke, to be replaced by a floating gumball.

Flying over, Paine snatched the candy out of the air, giving it a once over with her eyes before throwing into her mouth and chewing it. After three seconds of this, however, she spat it out again, remarking disgustedly, "Ugh, I'm gonna be tasting that for weeks..." Forming a fireball in her hand, she tossed it at the rapidly descending, chewed candy, igniting it, before remarking, "You can change back now. I know your attack isn't permanent to you."

With another puff of smoke, Buu reappeared again, the occasional part of him still on fire. Patting said fires out, Buu scowled, stating, "That was unpleasant for all concerned." His plan had been simple, and Paine knew it; he hoped that, once in candy form, Paine would eat him, where he would change back and kill her from the inside.

Not bloody likely.

_-Determination that is incorruptible-_

"I'm through screwing around with you," Paine intoned, flaring into Super Saiyan with little ceremony, before clenching her fists and continuing to power up. Rapidly approaching the Super Saiyan Two barrier, she added, "Time to show you the fruits of six hundred and sixty-six collective years of Saiyan fighting experience!" With a roar of power, the air around her shattered, her aura exploding into life around her, and blue lightning dancing around her form.

'This is as far as I can go without weakening reality again,' the girl observed to herself, the subtle vibrations in the air triggering Kaen's deep-hidden memories of his brief stint as a Super Saiyan Three; specifically, the green rifts his uncontrolled power had wrenched open. 'Let's just hope this is enough.'

_-From the other side a terror to behold-_

Focusing her power, Paine felt a tingling sensation along her shoulder blades, before a pair of leathery black wings, seemed to grow out of her body, expanding to a wingspan or at least twice her height. As they were comprised purely of ki, they didn't actually work (not that she actually needed wings to fly), and thus were created mainly for shock effect; in that regard, they were most successful.

Majin Buu seemed almost frozen in horror as he gazed upon the demonic girl before him, though that may have been, in part, because he had the minds of four children melding with his. Folding her wings around herself, the girl focused her energy once more, before throwing her wings wide and unleashing her first devastating attack. "Hellfire Caress!"

_-Annihilation will be unavoidable-_

Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of thin black threads erupted from her wings, twisting and weaving through the air towards the terrified Buu. The monster howled in pain as the first thread pierced his body, hooking around to lock in place, and he quickly dove out of the way of the other threads. They would not be denied, though, weaving through the air to chase him, even as the single thread embedded into him began slowly draining his energy.

"You can't run from everything!" Paine jeered, hoping to get Buu's attention; it worked, the monster how tearing ass straight for her. She was prepared. "Meteor Bomber!" With her ki wings directing the Hellfire Caress, her hands were free to prepare another attack. The pulse of energy between her cupped hands disappeared in a flash of light, reappearing less than a foot in front of Buu, and by then, it was far too late for the creature to stop.

_-Every broken enemy will know-_

Rocked by the explosion, Buu was sent flying back towards the mass of threads, which swiftly began piercing his body, puppetting him like a marionette; one mass of threads even wove into a net that ensnared his head. With escape all but impossible, Paine was free to prepare her next attack; slower than the others, but far more powerful. Holding her hands out to either side, waist high, a rising shout began deep in her throat as she focused power into the crystalline blue balls of ki in either hand. Merging the two together before her, she shouted, "Fusion Grenade!" before lobbing it at her enemy.

Buu struggled vainly against his bindings, his struggles weakening as the threads sapped his strength, pulses of light running back to their origin. It took just a second to reach its target, but to Buu, that seemed like a lifetime. The ki grenade exploded just shy of Buu's form, sending out a massive wave of frigid energy, freezing Buu's very molecules, and creating a gum-and-ice statue, suspended by dark ki threads, floating in the air.

_-That their opponent had to be invincible-_

"Pathetic, just like I always knew you'd be," Paine's twin-voices commented disgustedly. "I've barely warmed up, and you're already defeated. Oh well, I guess this is game over. Time to d-"

A gasp was wrenched from her throat as she felt Buu reverse the flow of her Hellfire Caress, draining a mass of energy back again, so much so that the ki wings faded out, the last of their energy sucked up by the black hole that was Majin Buu. As the threads too began to be absorbed, she could feel a build-up in the monster's core, moments before a massive sphere of pink energy expanded outwards rapidly, stopping just shy of reaching her. When the light faded, Buu was animated once more.

_-Take a last look around while you're alive-_

Paine grinned. "Ah, you've still got a little fight left in ya? Good, I was beginning to think this was too easy." Without giving the monster another second to recover, she curled one arm around by her side, charged up a deep red ki blast, and hurled it forwards with a shout of, "Nova Javelin!"

Too sluggish to dodge, as he was still recovering from being frozen solid, and too weak to deflect, waiting for his energy to restore itself, Buu was left with one option: block. Bringing his forearms up to block the blast, he howled in pain as the Nova Javelin ripped straight through his defence like it wasn't even there, burning a cannonball-sized hole straight through both his arms, and torso.

_-I'm an indestructible master of war-_

Before he could even considering beginning to regenerate, Paine pressed her advantage, forming a pair of translucent black spheres of ki, one in each hand. With a cry of "Black Fission!" she smashed them together before her, cupping her hands as she did so, but unlike normal ki balls, these didn't fuse together; they shattered, like glass. And it was these glass-like shards that were suddenly, and rapidly, thrown towards Buu by the wave of energy that followed the breaking.

Using some of his restored energy, Buu tried to erect a barrier to block the shards, but the glass-like fragments ripped through it like it paper, before doing the same to his faux flesh. Grinning at the devastation before her, Paine held both hands near her waist, two fingers extended on each hand, as she focused her energy; there was no visible sign she was doing anything, save the odd wave of heat near her fingers.

_-Indestructible-_

"Is... that... all you've got?" Buu growled slowly, concentrating his energy and forcing the holes to heal; his strength was returning swiftly now, as his anger caused him to tap further and further into his endless well of power.

"Not even close," the girl jibbed, throwing forward both hands and shouting, "Mirage Twister!" A ripple in the air was the only sign anything had happened, before the two nearly invisible beams she had fired, comprised purely of superheated air, punched holes straight through Buu's head; in a feat of perfect aim, she managed to burn out both his eyes in a single strike.

_-Determination that is incorruptible-_

As Buu staggered around blindly, Paine moved on to preparing her next attack; she had maybe five minutes of fusion left, and Plan A had failed, so if Plan B didn't work, the whole universe was screwed. Aiming one hand at the ground, there was the briefest of ki flashed before a large circular patch of dirt began glowing. Mere seconds later, a mass of small pale yellow ki balls erupted out of the ground, all pausing at different heights, before the girl shouted the attack's name: "Havoc Disruption!"

The sea of ki balls exploded at random heights and random times, each sending out a powerful sonic shockwave; there was no destructive force behind any of them, but the concussive force was enough to ricochet Buu around like a ball in a pinball machine. While the monster was still disoriented, the girl focused more ki into her right and, forming a white lash with a crackle of electricity, and with a flick of her wrist, sent the Lightning Whip to wrap around Buu's neck.

_-From the other side a terror to behold-_

A shuddery shout escaped Buu's mouth as ten thousand volts of electricity passed through his body; golem though he may be, he still had something passing for a nervous system, and the Lightning Whip was playing merry havoc with it. Grasping the whip with both hands, Paine dragged the monster down, slamming him into the rocky ground, using the momentum to slam him into random terrain around the area, before slinging him skyward again.

With an animalistic roar, Buu unleashed another sphere of pink energy, shattering the whip, as he glared down at the girl with his newly reformed eyes with every ounce of hate he could muster. Smirking up at the monster, Paine formed spheres of light blue ki in either hand, before flinging blast after blast up at the creature. It wasn't until she had fired over fifty blasts that Buu realised not a single one was aimed for him.

_-Annihilation will be unavoidable-_

Glancing around at the field of blasts from the safety of his shield, Buu remarked dryly, "You didn't really think you could hit _me_ with Hellzone Grenade did you?"

"Of course not," Paine replied, snapping her fingers, and with a mighty thunderclap every blast was connected to every other by a bolt of blue lightning. "That's why I made it better. Gigavolt Deathzone!" She snapped her fingers again, and Buu's world lit up in pain, as every single ball of ki sent a bolt of lightning straight through his shield, and directly into his body. Before the first shriek of pain had even left Buu's mouth, Paine was already preparing her next attack, her right hand glowing a deep crimson as she performed a swift, complex hand gesture and shouted "Blast Storm!"

_-Every broken enemy will know-_

The lightning died down, leaving blue sparks trailing along Buu's frame, but her cry heralded nothing else. "Just... what did... that do?" The monster panted out, glaring at the girl. Paine, however, just grinned, and moments later, a ring of deep red blasts launched out of the ground, surrounding the monster at waist height. Eyes widening comically, Buu had just enough time to mutter, "You dirty rotten bi-" before they detonated, massive sonic seismic shockwaves radiating outwards. The force of the waves sheered Buu's lower half clean off, reduced it to a lumpy pink slurry that hit the ground with a disgusting splat, and sent his torso spinning wildly through the air before the monster managed to right himself.

Looking down at what remained of his lower half, Buu screeched, "OW! Do you have _any_ idea how much that stings?!"

_-That their opponent had to be invincible-_

Paine waved him off lazily. "Oh quit crying you big baby. You grow back." As if to prove her point, Buu's lower half swiftly grew back down from his torso, restoring the creature to its original state in a matter of seconds. "See? Now, are we ready to continue, or would you like to bitch and moan some more?" 'Four minutes.'

Growling like an animal, Buu charged towards her, screaming, "I'LL KILL YOU!"

_-Take a last look around while you're alive-_

Taking a deep breath, Paine shouted, "Elemental Ghost Kamikaze Attack!" Exhaling, she spat out five white objects, which quickly reshaped themselves into legless miniature versions of her. Miniatures that began cackling to a joke only they knew.

Stopping his charge suddenly, Buu stared at the white ghosts with new eyes; when they weren't on his side, they really were creepy. "You stole my attack?" Buu asked incredulously.

_-I am indestructible (indestructible)-_

"Of course not." The girl replied swiftly, before snapping her fingers. Signal given, the five ghosts all changed: one erupted into flame, one became sheathed by ice, one shrouded by lightning, one disintegrated into a dust storm, and the last faded into darkness. "I made it better. Ghosts, attack!" Cackling again, the five elementals streaked towards the now-scared monster. 'Three minutes.'

Buu grit his teeth; if these creatures were any like those he stole from Gotenks, all he had to do was hit them, they'd explode, and the attack would be over. With that thought in mind, he stretched one arm to strike the fastest one, the fire ghost. However, instead of exploding, the ghost burst into a massive gout of flame, tearing right through his fist, and burning clean through his arm, all the way up to the shoulder.

_-Indestructible-_

Crying out in pain, Buu clutched his hand to the smoking hole his right arm once existed at. Before he could so much as flinch, however, the lightning ghost exploded into a shower of bolts, the arcs of lightning punching holes through both knees, both eyes, and both his one remaining elbow and his chest simultaneously. Cackling in glee, the dust ghost was next, exploding into a torrent of gouging sand, and ripping Buu's left leg off at the knee. Then came the ice ghost, crashing into his torso, and freezing it solid.

_-Determination that is incorruptible-_

Through all this the shadow ghost floated nearby, arms folded, until only it remained. Then, locking eyes with the smoking holes where Buu's once were, it faded away, unleashing two beams of black energy from it's eyes to Buu's, and it was then that Buu knew true pain; not truly physical, nor even his own. It was the pain of hundreds, thousands, countless millions upon billions of lives. Every life Buu himself had destroyed, he was forced to suffer their pain. 'Two minutes.'

_-From the other side a terror to behold-_

Hands held above her head, parted as far as she could reach, Paine focused all energy she could gather, from herself, and everything on the planet she could still sense, into two midnight-black energy balls, each the size of a small car; it was time to end this. "Suffer, monster, for everything you have done. Suffer and die. I take solace in the fact the last thing you will experience by my hand, is excruciating pain. FINAL JUDGEMENT!"

_-Annihilation will be unavoidable-_

Swinging her arms around and slamming the two massive balls of ki together before her, she unleashed a veritable wall of energy, engulfing Buu's form entirely in dark flames, and punching a hole into the earth itself. The flames continued to burn, melting a crater in the crust of the earth a mile wide, leaving naught but ash behind. Nothing, that was, except for the battered, charred remains of Buu. Paine smirked, as she floated down towards what was left of the creature, a vision that, were the monster able to see it, he might have thought demonic; that was intensely satisfying. 'One minute.'

_-Every broken enemy will know-_

Blinking at the destruction wrought before his eyes, Dende muttered, "Wow. That had to hurt."

A smirk on his own face to match the one the fused girl wore, Gohan replied, "I imagine that was the general idea, yes."

_-That their opponent had to be invincible-_

Striding across the broken earth towards the creature, Paine intoned, "It's over. You've got no energy left; completely tapped out. Look at you, you've even lost the ability to regenerate. And me, well, I just finished warming up." The irony of it all was that, lies you believed were the best kind, and the hardest to be caught out on. If Buu had've realised the urgency of her attacks, he might have realised she was pressed for time; that the fusion may be running out. Of course, she had managed to obliterate effectively two hundred percent of his body, so rational thought was very likely the last thing on his mind.

A shame she was so pressed for time, this was such fun. 'Unfortunately, all good things do have to come to an end. And bad things too.' Aiming one hand towards what remained of Buu, she said, an air of finality about her, "It's been fun, but now, it's game over."

_-Take a last look around while you're alive-_

A deep, resonating laugh worked its way out of Buu's battered body. "It's over..." he began slowly, "when I SAY IT'S OVER!" A massive wall of pink slime erupted behind the girl, the wave of goo washing over the girl in a fraction of a second; the remains of Buu's lower half. A cackle issuing forth from Buu's shattered body, the wave of pink slime engulfed Paine completely, before flowing over his broken form, repairing, rebuilding, reforming.

Majin Buu lived once more.

_-I'm an indestructible master of war!-_

--

Author's notes:

Man, this one just took _forever_. I've had it sitting half finished for two weeks now, and just couldn't work up the ending. But it's done now, and, thanks to a friend of mine, the next chapters already half written . Hopefully, it'll be out soon.

Also, it wasn't until I uploaded this that I realised I'd neglected to fix up _any _of the formatting, so I had to go back and do it again... Not fun.

For those interested, Paine's attacks, and who originally used their components are, in order:

Gallic Inferno - Gallic Gun (Vegeta) + Inferno Blast (Kaen)  
Hellfire Caress - Hellfire Strike (Kaen) + Caress of Ten-Thousand Hells (Kellre)  
Meteor Bomber - Meteor Blast (Kellre) + Bomber DX (Nappa)  
Fusion Grenade - Cold Fusion (Frost) + Lightzone Grenade (Flute)  
Nova Javelin - Nova Blast (Kaen) + Riot Javelin (Bardock)  
Black Fission - Black Ice (Kat) + Fission Wave (Avarrdo)  
Mirage Twister - Mirage Cannon (Korin) + Demon Twister (Flute)  
Havoc Disruption - Disruption of Gaia (Pi) + Havoc Cannon (Truniz)  
Lightning Whip - White Lightning (Viola) + Hellfire Whip (Kaen)  
Gigavolt Deathzone - Gigavolt Hellzone (Viola) + Deathzone Storm Grenade (Flute)  
Blast Storm - Blast Burn (Korin) + Giant Storm (Nappa)  
Elemental Ghost Kamikaze - Elemental Form (Kaen/Pi/Kat/Viola) + Super Ghost Kamikaze Attack (Gotenks)  
Final Judgement - Final Flash (Vegeta) + Hellfire Judgement (Kaen)

Edit (10/08/08) - minor formatting issues


	48. E08: Stricken

-- Disturbance, Book 3: Endurance --

Chapter E08 - Stricken

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

--

_-You walk on like a woman in suffering-  
-Won't even bother now to tell me why-  
-You come along, letting all of us savour the moment-  
-Leaving me broken another time-_

As Buu's haunting laughter echoed across the war zone that was once a lush field, Dende sank to his knees, a defeated look on his face as he bemoaned, "It's over. Majin Buu has won."

"No!" Gohan shouted defiantly. "It's not over. As long as I draw breath, until Majin Buu is destroyed it will never be over."

"Don't you get it Gohan? You can't win!" Dende knew Gohan was Earth's last hope, but he also knew Buu was the stronger. "Buu has Paine's powers now; a power twice that of Goku, one that may never run out. Our only choice is to cut our losses and try to lead Buu away from this planet. Maybe that way we'll be able to bring everyone back later, once we've found a way to deal with Buu."

"No Dende, there's no running from this." Gohan was never more determined that he would end this now. "Can you sense that?"

"All I can sense is Buu," Dende replied tiredly.

"Exactly," Gohan nodded, "His power is lower than before. It's lower than when Kaen first arrived, and it may even be lower than it was before he absorbed dad, but I don't know how long it'll stay that way. It's now or never Dende. I've got to finish this before he regains his strength, and if luck is on our side, maybe I'll even be able to destroy him before he 'digests' Paine, or whatever he needs to do."

"You can't do this Gohan!"

A pale blue aura flaring into life around him, Gohan sheathed his sword, before taking to the air. "If I don't," the teen remarked, taking off towards Buu, "who will?"

_-You come on like a bloodstained hurricane-  
-Leave me alone, let me be this time-  
-You carry on like a holy man pushing redemption-  
-I don't want to mention, the reason I know-_

From behind his massive desk, King Yemma released an equally massive sigh. "This has never been done before, but desperate times call for desperate measures," he boomed to the figure before him. "I need your help. The universe needs your help."

The look on Vegeta's face as he leaned against Yemma's colossal stapler was equal parts scowl and smirk; the smirk should have been obvious, and the scowl for being dragged away from his fun. "Well, well, well. The mighty King Yemma coming to _me_ for help. Let me guess: Buu?"

Yemma forced himself to remain calm; it wouldn't do to get angry with someone he was asking for help. "That's right. Majin Buu threatens to destroy everything in existence if he's not-"

"So send Kakarott," Vegeta interrupted dismissively.

"Goku has already returned to Earth to fight," Yemma shot back tersely. "He failed. All that remains is Gohan. You're all we have left. You are our last hope."

That changed Gohan's outlook slightly. A chance to both repay is debt to Gohan, and to best Kakarott, all in one fell swoop. However... "What's in it for me?" Vegeta asked gruffly. "As I am now, if I die I'm forced on to my next incarnation, so what do you have to offer me that's worth risking my very existence for?"

Yemma scowled; it figured Vegeta would be difficult. Fortunately, he knew exactly what the prince wanted. "You do this for me, I'll make you Hell's bouncer. It will be your job to keep the denizens of Hell in line. Every month, you will be allowed one day in the Upper Realms to spend as you see fit, and if you do your job well, you can earn bonus 'time off'."

The corner of Vegeta's mouth twitched up slightly, but otherwise he was stone silent as always. "Let's say I do this," he began slowly, "Let's say I help defeat Buu, Earth gets restored, and life goes on. What happens when and if I get wished back to life?"

Yemma grit his teeth. "Very well then. This offer will be eternally bound to your soul. Whenever you die, in any life, if you are sentenced to Hell, you shall receive this offer."

Vegeta's mouth twitched again, before a smirk spread across his features. "You drive a hard bargain Yemma. I accept. Send me back."

_-That I am stricken and can't let you go-  
-When the heart is cold, there's no hope, and we know-  
-That I am crippled by all that you've done-  
-Into the abyss will I run!-_

In a place that defied time, space, and basic physiology, a hastily erected shield faded, and one person became two again; one male, and the other female. Scrubbing one hand through his hair, the male remarked, "Shit, that was calling it a little close."

Breathing a sigh of relief, the female replied, "Yeah, I was afraid we'd need to start calling him names to get him to absorb us already."

A grin broke out on his face. "I thought we already did that."

She grinned back. "True, but our attacks were about as effective, so it would've wasted less energy."

"That may be true Pi," he commented, "But I do believe you were enjoying yourself immensely."

"Kaen honey, I _am_ a Saiyan," she shrugged, "Why _wouldn't_ I love wielding world crushing powers?"

He slid his arms around her waist, kissing her briefly before remarking, "God I love you."

She fought back a blush; now was not the time to get all girly. There _would_ be glomping later though, she'd make sure of that. "Love you too." Casting her gaze about, if only to distract herself, she added, "So, this is the inside of a construct of evil wrapped in bubble gum?"

"A bit too pink for my tastes." It was surreal, really, that after everything that had happened in the past two days ('Wait, has it been two days?') that he was now holding a casual conversation with his mate from the belly of an evil bubblegum monster. "So, we need to find a weakness or something, where should we aim?"

Putting a hand to her chin in thought, Pi mused, "This reminds me of a lesson I learned."

Kaen balked. "Look, I know your father's good, but even he can't be so all god-damned knowledgeable that he taught you how to kill a manifestation of pure evil." (1)

"My uncle Truniz actually."

Kaen grinned as they bantered back and forth; god he's missed this. "Oh, this I gotta hear."

"Let me finish then."

"All ears."

"Okay, so the lesson was pretty simple. I'd asked him what the best way to kill something was, and he told me: 'Take out any number of three vital points: the head, the heart, or the gnads.' Considering we've already both stabbed and incinerated the head, I suggest whatever passes for a heart in these parts."

"What about the gnads?"

"What about them?"

"Isn't that an option?"

She shrugged. "Not really, no."

"How do you know? Have you already checked out his junk?"

"No Kaen, the only person who's 'junk' I've checked out is yours. We _have_, however, kicked, burnt, and crushed that part of his anatomy several times already with minimal success."

He winced. "Touché. Well, since this is your plan, it's our show. Lead on."

"Stay close then, who knows what weird shit is in here."

"Other than us?"

"We're more weird than them, but they could still be dangerous. This is his home turf, so to speak."

After a few minutes of silent walking, Kaen burst out laughing. Turning her head to face him a curious expression on her face, she asked, "Care to share?"

He grinned. "Looks like something he ate is going to give him heart burn."

Pi just shook her head, muttering tiredly, "I knew those stupid Earth action films would rot your brain." Knowing he'd keep up, she continued walking.

"Oh c'mon, that was a great one liner."

She grinned. "Yeah, and Gohan looks like a stellar warrior in his Saiyaman outfit."

_-You don't know what your power has done to me-  
-I want to know if I'll heal inside-  
-I can't go on with a holocaust about to happen-  
-Seeing you laughing another time-_

The ground exploded into a shower of dirt, before a wave of energy sent the turf flying, heralding Gohan's swift recovery. Wiping his split lip, Gohan spat out a mouthful of blood, grinning up at Buu. Ever since the fight began anew, the monster's power had been fluctuating between helpless, as he was when Gohan first fought him upon arriving back on Earth, and when he had absorbed his father.

Amusingly, Buu's torso was constantly reshaping itself to reveal just how powerful he was at the time: if it was bare, he had no extra power, if he wore his father's gi, he was using Goku's power, and so on. Also amusingly, Oran and Lime seemed to have split again; he recognised their outfits in the random rotation of powers Buu had going on. This random power change made the fight more difficult, but Gohan was having such fun.

After all, all bar his father were significantly weaker than him.

He hadn't yet seen Pi, Kaen, or either of their fusions in the rotation, but he was taking no chances. Which is why he wasted no time in rejoining the fight, his fist reaching Buu just as his father's gi top faded into Piccolo's mantle. The end result was a massive crater in Buu's putty-like face, moments before the monster made a crater all of it's own.

Gohan may have loved this, but Majin Buu had never been so frustrated. Whatever that stupid girl had done to him had screwed up his control over those he had absorbed. And to make matters worse, he had yet to see a shred of that girl's power to call his own!

There were two very important facts that Buu was unaware of that would have explained the entire situation to him. The first, the reason his power was now wild and difficult to control, was because he still had a vast amount of Hellfire in his system. When the Final Judgement attack had hit home, the Hellfire it was composed of had threaded itself through the holes in his battered body.

Hellfire was designed for one purpose: to turn the ki of its victim against itself. For a construct like Buu, this was especially dangerous, considering the possibility of the magical energies holding him together being overwritten and tearing him apart. What the Hellfire had managed to do, however, was drive a wedge between Buu, and his stolen power.

The second fact was entirely simpler. Both Kaen and Pi were free inside him.

_-You'll never know why your face has haunted me-  
-My very soul has to bleed this time-  
-Another hole in the wall of my inner defences-  
-Leaving me breathless, the reason I know-_

The construct that was Majin Buu was simultaneously a wonder of magic, and an abomination against science and nature combined. So far in their journey through the horror, they had discovered that Majin Buu did, in fact, have working organs, and something resembling a digestive system, but there was no waste; the acids in his stomach were strong enough to destroy anything, and without the magicks containing it, even Buu would be consumed.

Another similarity he had to an actual living creature was a circulatory system, though he had no blood. Instead, what Kaen could only guess was steam shot through his veins and arteries, and, unless Buu voided all of the basic anatomical knowledge they both shared, where they were now, was one of the former. Which meant they'd scored a shortcut to Buu's heart, flying along on a red blood cell.

True to Buu's form, it was actually more a rich pink. To make sure Buu remained as unaware to their trespass as possible, they'd agreed to use as little ki as possible, so scoring a free ride was perfect. They'd also made sure to suppress their ki as low as it could go, until they blended in with the ambient ki that permeated Buu's entire being.

It was still a little surreal that, despite all that had happened recently, especially between Pi and himself, here they were now, casually lounging on a red blood cell, Pi laying her head on Kaen's chest, as they sailed on towards their target.

Kaen ran a hand through Pi's hair absently, his mind a mile away. It was a surprising situation, playing spectator to some of her deepest thoughts and emotions, especially with what had happened between them; the fusion, combined with their already existing bond, truly meshed their minds together, unlocking all those memories that had briefly flashed through his mind but once before, when the bond was first formed. It definitely cast a new light on their relationship.

He should have been angry, or at least concerned, and he would have been well within his rights to be, but he just couldn't bring himself to be. Despite everything, he couldn't doubt her sincerity, nor her love, and that brought a smile to his face.

After all, he knew the exact moment she realised she'd fallen in love, not that he'd tell anyone; after all she'd done for him, the least he could do is help her maintain the air of mystery about her, though there would be no more secrets between them. Stroking her cheek affectionately with his thumb, he remarked softly, "You know, you were really good at that."

She smiled a little at the thoughts she heard circulating through his mind, replying, "Thanks, but it's odd that you're complimenting it, considering..."

Leaning up to kiss her on the cheek, he commented, "That's all in the past. Let's just say I sorta got to appreciate the depth of it a little, you know?" Stroking her hair again, he asked, "Ever wanted to be an actor?"

She laughed a little, her heart lifting; she may have now known instinctively how he felt, but it was still nice to hear him say it. "Sweetie, with my looks, I'd be on screen kissing other boys all the time, and my career would crash and burn very quickly when they all came down with a sudden case of 'broken-jaw syndrome'."

Kaen just grinned and held her tighter, as they sailed ever closer to the heart of the beast.

_-That I am stricken and can't let you go-  
-When the heart is cold, there's no hope, and we know-  
-That I am crippled by all that you've done-  
-Into the abyss will I run-  
-Into the abyss will I run!-_

Gohan crashed into the ground once again, groaning in pain as he dragged himself to his feet. Whatever had affected Buu's powers had clearly not changed his stamina any, and no matter how much damage Gohan did, Buu's power would not drop any further. The only saving grace was that neither Kaen nor Pi's powers had surfaced, but it wasn't enough; Gohan was tiring, and there was no time for Dende to heal him. 'I can't let it end like this!'

"You tired already boy?" Buu sneered, charging up a Kamehameha wave. "Don't worry, I'll make the pain stop."

"And here I thought you couldn't get uglier _or_ stupider, but I guess I was wrong on both counts." A new voice declared from above; a very familiar voice.

"What?!" Majin Buu barked, his head snapping up towards the speaker.

"Final Flash!" The golden beam streaked down, cleaving Buu's head from his shoulders, and sending the monster tumbling aimlessly towards the ground, at least for now. Folding his arms, a self-satisfied smirk spread across the deceased prince's face. "Of all the fighters on this planet to absorb, you chose _Kakarott_?"

"Vegeta!" Gohan cried out excitedly, a wise smile breaking over his face. "Am I ever glad to see you!"

Vegeta inclined his head exactly five degrees; from anyone else, the gesture would be worthless, but from Vegeta, it was the equivalent of a full-blown familial hug. While he would never say it, Vegeta respected Gohan a great deal, and owed him his life several times over. 'Today, I begin to repay my debt.' _"What happened to Kaen?"_

It stunned Gohan for a brief second, to hear Vegeta's voice in his head, but he must have realised the danger of speaking out loud; weakened or not, Majin Buu had absorbed seven Saiyans today, all bar his father knowing how to speak the Saiyan language, so verbalising anything would give away any plans they might have. _"Absorbed. Pi too. Buu's power has been fluctuating ever since they fought him, but he's displayed abilities of everyone he's taken bar them."_

The smirk on Vegeta's face turned demonic. _"They let themselves get taken."_ Vegeta was not a smart man, he would admit that to anyone; not book smart, in any case. He was, however, a cunning man, a warrior, a Saiyan. He knew, like all Saiyans did, that sometimes, victory must be achieved at all cost, and that one Saiyan's life was insignificant when weighed against the entire race. And some times, you had to play to lose, in order to win it all. _"They're trying to destroy him from the inside."_

_"But, why would they do th-"_ Gohan's confused reflections died suddenly, as instinct awoke. He could see it now, could see why they didn't fight back when the pink wave washed over them; if Liran was able to break out of it, then Paine would've had no trouble. _"The fusion. They knew it was ending."_ Vegeta nodded once more. _"So what do we do?"_

_"We wait until we can be sure whether they've succeeded or failed."_

_"And if they've failed?"_

Vegeta's smirk turned grim then. _"Then we finish it ourselves. One way, or the other."_

_-You walk on like a woman in suffering-  
-Won't even bother now to tell me why-  
-You come along, letting all of us savour the moment-  
-Leaving me broken another time-_

Despite what many people would like to think, Saiyan Battle Principle was exactly as straightforward as people believed: keep hitting it until it stops moving. Going into the fight with Majin Buu, it has always been Kaen's intention to turn the monster into a fine pink paste. The problem with this plan was that said pink paste had a nasty habit of growing back.

Pi's plan, and therefore Paine's, was a little more complex. Just as Kaen was a lot more like his father than he'd ever be willing to admit, Pi was a lot like her own parents. Unlike her mate, she couldn't make an initial rough plan and 'wing it' from there; she liked to put a bit more thought into things. To this end, she had come up with two separate plans, in case the first failed.

That said, both plans could essentially be boiled down to Kaen's plan, just with different flavours to them. The first was to beat said pink paste so hard that it couldn't possibly regenerate itself, or at least lose the means to. She had almost succeeded in this plan; she just hadn't counted on Buu still being able to control the shattered remains of his lower half. The second plan was a lot more risky, but also more likely to succeed: go inside, and destroy as many vital systems as possible.

Neither Pi nor her mate had been entirely sure what to expect when they found Buu's inner core, or heart, or whatever it was. A dark pulsing thing, a bright pulsing thing, a never-ending well of eternal pitch that would swallow the very fabrics of time and space to never be seen again, or a kiwi-lime cupcake; given what they'd seen so far, all of them was just as likely as each other.

She honestly thought she could not be surprised by whatever was at the heart of this creature. The cavernous room they had arrived in hadn't been too surprising, but the series of pods suspended from the ceiling containing the unconscious forms of the friends and family that had been absorbed into the living goo that was Buu's flesh was extremely surprising; a pleasant surprise, but a surprise all the same, and to be fair, it was hard to sense much of anything in here.

A smile spreading across her face at the revelation they'd be able to rescue those Buu had consumed instead of having to wish them back to life, Pi remarked happily, "My plans are awesome."

His tail swishing about a bit, Kaen replied defensively, "Hey, if I knew they were prisoners in here I would've thought of something; I just assumed they were gone."

Still smiling, Pi threw her arms around him, commenting, "Sweetie, you're not a safe cracker, you're a demolitions man."

A smile coming to his face as well, he shrugged, "Heh, well, I do love my work."

She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "And I do love that about you. Now, let's get them out of there."

_-You come on like a bloodstained hurricane-  
-Leave me alone, let me be this time-  
-You carry on like a holy man pushing redemption-  
-No one to mention, the reason I know-_

"Final Flash!" Vegeta smirked to himself as he watched Buu skip along the ground for a few hundred metres before crashing into a hillside. Even without being able to see or sense them, the prince knew that somewhere in that monster, Kaen and Pi were trying to bring the creature down. And it was working.

Majin Buu's power had settled again. The switches between forms had gotten increasingly rare and few over the space of about thirty seconds, until they stopped entirely, leaving Buu in his original state, without any of his stolen powers. With the boost in power he'd received upon death, that meant Vegeta was now stronger than the pink putty monster, and with Gohan off being healed by the Namek brat, that left Vegeta to keep Buu busy.

And he was loving every second of it.

Smacking the monster around the terrain like a rag doll was extremely amusing _and_ satisfying, especially when he had sacrificed his own life in vein trying unsuccessfully to destroy his obese incarnation. Now, however, Vegeta didn't need to destroy Buu. He just needed to keep him too occupied to investigate what had happened to his vast assortment of stolen powers.

If that meant using Buu as a quasi-living target practice dummy that grew back and moved around on it's own, then it was the prince's right - no, responsibility - to use as much energy failing to destroy it as he possibly could. And if he had an immeasurable amount of fun along the way, well, that was just an added bonus. Besides, it was great stress relief, and Vegeta wasn't too proud to admit, in his head at least, that he was a little pent up.

Hell, Gohan would've joined in himself if it weren't for two important factors. The first was that, after having kept the monster amused until the prince arrived, he was extremely tired and battered, so he needed time, and Dende's healing, to recover. The second equally as important point was that he knew if he got between Vegeta and his prey he was likely to lose an arm.

A very Saiyan smirk coming to his face, Gohan wondered if Vegeta would be willing to share once he'd recovered. Gohan had a few issues of his own he needed to sweat out. And if it gave Kaen and Pi more time, so much the better.

_-That I am stricken and can't let you go-  
-When the heart is cold, there's no hope, and we know-  
-That I am crippled by all that you've done-  
-Into the abyss will I run-_

"Oh man!" Goku yawned widely, working the kinks out of his arms, "Feels like I just went ten rounds with Vegeta, Frieza and Cell all at once!"

Shrugging slightly, Pi remarked, "Well, you were just being used as a ki battery by Buu, and he _did_ just go several rounds with our fusion, so you're not far wrong."

Looking around, the formerly deceased Saiyan noticed everyone else Buu had eaten standing around, in various states of recovery themselves. "Oh. Well, thanks for getting me outta there."

"Well, I was just gonna leave you there, but Pi made me cut you down. Said it wasn't fair to Gohan otherwise," Kaen remarked casually from the girl's other side.

Goku just frowned slightly. He couldn't tell how much of that statement was true, and how much of it was just Kaen having a go at him; quite frankly, he wasn't sure he wanted to know. Before he could comment on it though, Piccolo spoke out with, "So, what's our plan of escape?"

Kaen just shrugged slightly. "Never really had a plan for all of us; we thought you were dead. We were just gonna cause as much damage as we could, then bust our way out like a chest-burster."

A broad grin spreading across his face, Trunks piped in excitedly, "See? I told you it was a good movie!"

Turning a stern eye to the boy, Pi asked slowly, "_You_ gave him those?"

The boy visibly shrunk under her gaze, replying, "Uh, yeah. They're just pretend though..."

She sighed tiredly, remarking, "Do you have _any_ idea how hard it was to pry Kat off me during those scenes?"

Before the conversation could go any further towards Trunks getting in trouble, Lime's voice could be heard asking, "Hey, who're those two guys?" Looking over where the girl was pointing, sure enough there were two more pods. Little much could be seen, as only their faces were visible in the pod, but one of them looked sort of like Recoome, while the other bore a remarkable resemblance to Fat Buu. Both looked a little too orange to be human, despite their mainly pinkish skin.

Oran just grinned at his sister. "Wanna see what happens if we cut 'em down?"

No sooner had the words left his lips she'd summoned her pair of chakram, spinning them rapidly before launching them at the remaining pods, slicing through first the bottom, then the top connector. However, the dull thud of two pods hitting the ground was soon followed by the roar of the walls starting to collapse inwards. "Damn it you two!" Pi screeched, throwing her arms out and forming a barrier around the group, "If we get out of this you are _so_ grounded!"

The twins hung their heads, as Goten asked fearfully, "How're we gonna get out now?"

Wrapping his tail around Pi's waist, Kaen declared, "Everyone, form a chain between Pi and Goku, and make sure you include those two; we've already cut 'em down, might as well get 'em outta here."

"What's the plan?" Goku asked, his voice in battle-mode.

Kaen just grinned. "The second you can sense fresh air, you teleport us outta here. Now, everybody hang on tight," throwing his hands out to either side, the teen set them alight with a satisfying 'fwoosh' sound, "Coz I'm about to open some fuckin' windows."

_-Into the abyss will I run!-  
-I can't let you go!-_

His eyes widening a fraction in shock, Vegeta back-pedalled slightly at the blood-curdling scream that erupted from Buu's mouth. Ki blast still in hand, the prince turned to Gohan to see if he knew what was the monster's problem, but the demi-Saiyan looked twice as confused; mostly because the prince refused to show confusion. He reabsorbed the blast as he heard Buu's cry of, "I don't want to die!"

A smirk broke out on his face; the boy had done it. That smirk soon faded when a new, high-pitched voice echoed out from Buu's mouth, screaming, "Let me out!"

Without warning, a beam of red light, about as wide as a golf ball at most, erupted out of Buu's chest. Mere seconds later, there was a sharp whistle, before the air before Buu was suddenly full of people, Goku's voice declaring, "We made it!"

"Kakarott?" Okay, now Vegeta was confused.

"He's coming out!" Buu's pained voice declared. "He's coming out and then you're all gonna die!"

"LET ME OUT!" The high-pitched voice shrieked, "I WANT TO BE FREE!"

Blinking once, Kaen's voice seemed to sum up nicely what everyone was thinking; "What the fuck is going on?"

As Buu's power level began to rise, one thing was painfully clear; this fight wasn't over yet. Not by a long shot.

_-Yes I am stricken and can't let you go!!-_

--

Author's notes:

(1) - For the record, Kellre _does_ know how to kill a manifestation of pure evil: by using pure good. He just never taught that to Pi.

What's this? Wonder upon wonders, two updates within about a week of each other?

Yeah, I'm a little surprised at how quickly I got this one written too. I owe it all to my beta Ninja, who wrote much of the dialogue for the chapter.

I don't expect to get the next chapter written quite so quickly, but, we'll see.


	49. E09: Two Worlds

-- Disturbance, Book 3: Endurance --

Chapter E09 - Two Worlds

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

--

_-Two worlds are warring in me, killing us now; raging inside-  
-Measure the horror in me; remove the sickness plaguing my mind-_

"Oh man, this is really bad," Gohan remarked, sticking his head out of the hiding spot they'd found to observe the screaming monster, as his power level continued to rise. Those in the group with enough energy to do much of anything had made sure to get the others somewhere safe while they recovered; and to hide while Buu powered up. Already his power level had reached 'Super Buu's maximum, and it was steadily creeping higher. Their only saving grace was that Buu appeared to be in no hurry.

"Where is he getting all this energy from?" Kaen muttered sourly. "How can he be more powerful _now_ then when he was leeching energy from these two?" Now that the two in question were free of the Buu pod, the reason they were inside Buu seemed to become a lot clearer, based on their appearance.

The Recoome-looking one had a brown Mohawk atop his pinkie-orange, pointy-eared head, and wore a yellow long-sleeved outfit, almost like a loose bodysuit, under a broad black-with-gold-trim tunic. A massive orange sash was tied around his waist, and his feet were adorned with similarly orange boots. The chubby, friendly looking one had a purple Mohawk, wearing a deep purple bodysuit, similar to the other man, with a similar orange sash; his boots, however, were black. And adorning his torso was a vest and cape combo that looked identical to Majin Buu's first appearance.

"What're we gonna do niichan?" Lime asked, her bottom lip quivering a fraction when Buu's power increased again; she was terrified, but too scared of disappointing her brother to admit it. Looking around, Kaen noticed similar looks on the other kids' faces too.

'Why did they have to look to me for guidance?' Kaen sighed to himself, closing his eyes. 'Okay Kaen, you can do this. You've done it before, even if that wasn't really you.' He nodded once to himself. 'Right, first priority is keeping the kids safe, then stopping the monster.' Opening his eyes again, he kept his voice level as he barked, "Dende, Pi, I need you to heal everyone Buu absorbed; we'll need every fighter in top form. Gohan, you're with me. Everyone else remains here."

"Who died and left you in charge boy?" Vegeta sneered, folding his arms.

Kaen just quirked an eyebrow. "You did." The smirk slipped off the prince's face. "I'm your second in command, remember? With you dead, it's my responsibility to step up and assume leadership until such time that either you are returned to life, or Trunks is ready to take over. And before you ask Vegeta, you're staying here. Don't want to have you die on us a second time now do we?" Kaen wouldn't say how worried he was about Vegeta ceasing to exist, and Vegeta wouldn't accept any concern like that anyway, but they both knew what he really meant

_-Two worlds are warring in me, killing us now-  
-Show me the light-_

Goku's face hardened with battle resolve. "I'm coming with you."

Kaen sighed tiredly; there's always one who doesn't agree. "No, you're staying here. That's an order."

Goku scowled, something that looked decidedly odd on his normally cheerful face. "I'm not one of your subjects. I don't follow your-"

"Kakarott! Shut the hell up!" Kaen shouted, cutting the man off. "I know you're not much of a Saiyan, but let me point out three facts to you. I am older than you, I am smarter than you, and until your strength returns, I am a damn sight stronger than you, so you will sit down and shut up or so help me, I'll send you back to the Otherworld myself, because I'm not taking a liability like you into combat. Understand?"

"Yes!" Goku shot back instantly, all but flopping backwards from the force of Kaen's voice, and damnit if he didn't have to fight hard not to add a 'sir' to the end of that.

"Good." Kaen nodded but once, taking to the air towards Majin Buu, with Gohan following behind him. Once they were out of hearing range, the teen muttered, "Damn I hate doing that. It's murder on my throat, and gets less effective every time."

"Well, it was impressive all the same," his half-Saiyan companion remarked. "Where did you learn how to do that?"

Kaen just grinned. "I've been dealing with the twins half their life. I know how to deal with impetuous children." It wasn't the whole truth, but it was truth enough. They had more important things to worry about.

As the two teens flew off, Goku turned to the two unconscious beings before them, feeling a niggling recognition at the back of his mind, and he couldn't help but ask, "Who are these two anyway?"

Vegeta scoffed. "I would've thought that obvious by now Kakarott, even to you. They're-"

_-Two worlds collide whenever I step to the front-  
-I look for a new place to hide while tearing my colour away-_

"Benkei! Daisuke!" Shin cried cheerfully, a massive grin splitting his face. "They're alive!"

Elder turned to him with a curious expression, but before he could say anything Kibito gasped, "The South and Grand Supreme Kais!"

"Grand Supreme Kai?" Elder parroted questioningly, before the other two Kais turned to stare at him curiously. "In my day, there was a single Supreme Kai."

Shin's eyes widened in shock, or maybe awe, before he recovered, replying, "Oh, okay then. Well about five millennia ago, I believe, the current Supreme Kai realised that managing the entire universe was too difficult for one man, Kai or no, so he appointed four advisors, one for each quadrant of the universe, and named himself Grand Supreme Kai. As you know, each Kai rules for a millennium, before a successor is appointed; the same applies to the advisor Kais, like myself."

"I thought you were the Supreme Kai boy," Elder remarked; from anyone else, that 'boy' comment would've been insulting.

The younger Kai just shook his head. "I am the sole Supreme Kai by circumstance only. Once, I was East Supreme Kai. The North Supreme Kai was named Buson, and the West Supreme Kai was Shizuka. As Kibito mentioned, Benkei was South, and Daisuke was the Grand Supreme Kai, our leader."

"So what happened?"

_-I swallow my pride, but never forget what I want-  
-Starting to long for a time, not fearing the war in my mind-_

Shin's face hardened, as a deep scowl formed. "Buu." The planet itself almost seemed to draw silent at the name. "Early on in our reign, the wizard Bibidi crafted his monster golem, and began reeking havoc on the universe. Buson was the first to fight the monster, and Shizuka next, but both of them were destroyed with seemingly not much effort at all; they both went to the Upper Plains almost immediately. Benkei was next, but Buu, it seemed, had a different fate in store for him."

Shin sighed, scrubbing one hand through his Mohawk. "While he may not have been the smartest of us, he certainly was the strongest, and he was the first to give Buu a decent fight. He was also the first to suffer from Buu's absorption ability. Buu engulfed him, emerging with a massively muscled body. I was next to face the monster, and surely would have lost my life, if Daisuke didn't interfere. I think, looking back, he did what he did because he wanted Buu to absorb him. And he did, resulting in the Buu that was released from the egg today."

Kibito continued, seeing Shin looked unwilling to. "The inherent good in all Kais, and Daisuke's eternal innocence, turned the once heartless killing machine into a goofy, almost lovable Buu, one who killed because it was fun, and because he was built to kill, rather than simply because it could. A Buu with a great love of food. A Buu we could have stopped."

Elder's eyes lit up. "With the Kai's influence on him, Buu could access less of the Pure Evil ki that fuelled him, making the monster weaker."

"Exactly." Shin intoned sadly. "And now, the monster is free of all chains that bound it. May the Maker have mercy on us all."

_-Two worlds are warring in me, both sides are losing; patience has died-  
-None of the martyr remains, drowns my conviction; regions divide-_

"Aw crap." The softly spoken words that slipped from Kaen's mouth seemed to sum up everyone's thoughts at the time, as Buu's power settled down. The monster had assumed a giant, muscular form earlier, before shrinking and compacting down to this child-like form; well, young adult was more accurate than child, but that was beside the point. What was important was that in this form, Buu was at least twice as strong as he had been before.

Which meant he was currently stronger than Earth's finest were equipped to handle.

"Aw crap," the Saiyan teen muttered again, realisation coming swiftly, "Those two must've been blocking his power somehow..."

"So what do we do now?" The half-Saiyan teen to his side asked, never once removing his eyes from the child monster before them.

Before Kaen could even begin to formulate a plan, Majin Buu's raised one hand over his head, seemingly ignoring the fact he was being watched, and silently began charging an insanely powerful, concentrated ki blast, roughly the size of a Volkswagen Beatle. Reacting on instinct alone, Kaen quickly flared into Super Saiyan Two, unleashing the most powerful beam he could prepare in such a short time, and using it to intercept Buu's blast, launching it into space.

Buu's head snapped up towards them. It seemed he'd noticed them at last.

A wordless growl rose from the monster's throat, as he raised one hand above his head. A swirling ball of pink ki burst into life above the outstretched limb, and as the growl rose into a bone-chilling shout, the sphere of ki expanded dramatically, until it was large enough to completely eclipse the sky in front of the two Saiyans.

"What the hell is he doing?" Gohan shouted incredulously, "That blast is powerful enough to wipe out from here to Mars!"

"Apparently he's taking no chances getting rid of us," Kaen remarked wryly. "He can regenerate from nothing remember, even in the depths of space."

"So what do we do _now_?" The teen asked again.

_-Two worlds are warring in me, killing us now-  
-Show me the light...-_

Once again, before the full-blooded Saiyan could reply, Majin Buu hurled the massive death ball towards them. This time, however, neither of them were powerful enough to deflect it, so they did the next best thing. Powering up as high as they could get in the five-or-so seconds they had to prepare, both teens raced towards the blast and flew beneath it, reaching up to catch it before it could hit the planet.

Gritting his teeth, the two pushed back against the powerful attack, sheer force of will preventing them from slipping, but that could only last so long. "Kakarott!" Kaen shouted suddenly. "Get everyone out of here!"

"Right," the formerly deceased fighter replied, placing one hand on the heavily muscled Kai next to him as he moved to get up. And that's where everything went wrong.

The Kai's eyes snapped open, instantly noticing the presence of the attack threatening the planet, and the assailant who threw it. His 'fight or flight' instincts clearly set to 'flight', a sphere of pale light formed around him, and everyone around him, before teleporting away. With little more than a sharp, "Hey, wait a mi-", both Kais, Goku, Vegeta, and Dende were all gone.

Fighting back the string of expletives threatening to spill forth, Kaen growled, "Damnit, we've just lost half our DPS and our main healer. Bastard Kais." The situation was unwinnable, Earth was doomed; Kaen could see that now, and by the look in Gohan's eyes, his fellow warrior could too. All that was left was to save as many as possible. "Pi!" He barked, focusing his ki to keep the deadly attack aloft, "Get the others out of here!"

She wanted to argue. She wanted nothing more than to demand that she would stay here with him, that she wasn't going to leave him here to die. Despite what she wanted, however, Pi returned a grim nod, quickly gathering up Piccolo and the four children. Despite what she wanted, Pi wasn't going to let the others, especially the children, die because she didn't do what she _needed_ to do. Pressing a single button on the wristwatch computer she wore, the group disappeared in a flash of blue light.

Despite the situation, Kaen found a grin come to his face. "Looks like it's just you and me then 'Han."

_-Two worlds collide whenever I step to the front-  
-I look for a new place to hide while tearing my colour away-_

"Why did you leave them there?!"

Pi turned to face the irate human girl, her shoulders squared defiantly. "Do you think I _wanted_ to 'Del?" Chichi had fainted the moment Buu's readied the attack. "Don't forget that my **mate** is down there too, but I did what I had to. I had to get the kids to safety."

Turning to the next likely person able to help, Videl asked pleadingly, "Kellre, can you get them?"

He shook his head slowly. "The ki bleed from that attack is screwing up both the targeting and transportation systems. We're lucky I managed to grab Pi and the kids at all, given their proximity to the attack. Gohan and Kaen, I can't even find."

Sinking to her knees, Videl vaguely noticed Kat rushing up and wrapping an arm around her. "There's got to be something we can do...?"

Her face a grim mask, Pi closed her eyes for a second, before striding back to the teleporter. "There is." Turning to face Avarrdo, she stated, "Make the ship ready to leave the blast zone as soon as we're clear." Her gaze panned over to her father, and the two shared a solemn nod. "You know what to do."

_-I swallow my pride, but never forget what I want-  
-Starting to long for a time, not fearing the war in my mind-_

"-nute. Darn it!" Goku exclaimed in frustration, turning a smouldering glare towards the muscled Kai that almost made Vegeta proud to call him a Saiyan; almost. "What the hell were you doing?! We could have beaten him! Darn it all, you left everyone else behind! We've got to go back for them!"

The Kai blinked at him, having the good graces to look both ashamed and afraid as he replied, "I-I panicked! I c-can't go b-back there!"

Spinning on his heel, Goku raced towards the other Kais, Vegeta hot on his heels, and shouting, "Kibito! We need to get the others, quickly!"

The red giant nodded, closing his eyes for a moment, before opening them slowly and replying, "I'm sorry Goku. I cannot sense them."

"What the hell do you mean?" Vegeta snarled.

"What he means," Elder replied sadly, staring into his crystal ball, "Is that you won front row seats to the end of Earth, and there's nothing we can do to stop it."

_-Give me a sign, tell me when it's time-  
-Show me the light, tell me when it's fucking over-_

Kaen could feel the massive death ball inching closer to the rocky ground below them; this stalemate would soon be over, and Earth would be gone. Kaen, like all Saiyans, didn't fear death, though he did fear what his mate would do to him when they met again, but, like all Saiyans, the first instinct was to save as many as you can. "Gohan!" He cried out over the rush of ki swirling about them. "I want you to get as far away as you can. Hopefully I'll be able to hold it long enough for you to Transmit to safety, and the Icebreaker'll pick you up from there."

"Not a chance!" The teen shot back instantly, a grin on his face. "As much as I want to see Videl again, I don't want the next time she sees me to involve your family killing me for letting you die. Considering I'm going to die either way, I'd rather go out a hero."

"Stubborn bastard," Kaen remarked, a similar grin on his face; a truly Saiyan reply if ever he'd heard one. "Alright then, on the count of three we unleash the most powerful blast we can, hold it for exactly five seconds, then cut and run. If Lady Luck's on our side, the reverse thrust'll give us time to get away."

"Now that's a plan I can get behind," Gohan shot back. Gathering ki, he shouted, "One!"

Pooling all the energy he could muster into his hands, Kaen added, "Two!"

"THREE! HA!" A veritable wall of ki erupted from either side of the death ball, forcing it slowly upwards before, after exactly five seconds, both blasts disappeared, and the teens blasted off at high speed. The waves of ki were enough to halt the ball's descent for all of three seconds, before it began advancing on the defenceless planet.

Shouting over the violent noise of the sound barrier being broken, Kaen asked, "What's the hold up?!"

"It's no good!" Gohan shouted back, "I can't find anywhere far enough for us to go! I can't Transmit us out of here!"

As it turned out, he didn't need to. With a slight whistle and a flash of light, a third body appeared right in front of them. One arm grabbing Gohan's wrist, and her tail lashing around Kaen's, Pi cried into the communicator, "I've got 'em!" The three vanished just as suddenly.

_-Two worlds collide whenever I step to the front-  
-I look for a new place to hide while tearing my colour away-_

Landing in a graceless heap upon the floor of the Icebreaker, Kaen shouted hurriedly, "Go go go, punch it, punch it!"

"Oh relax boy, you'll stress yourself into the grave," his father replied, calmly tapping the keys in front of him. "I've got a whole second to spare." With a final key press, the ship lurched away from the danger zone, tearing through the emptiness of space at nigh-unfathomable speeds.

Mere moments later, the view screen was lit up from behind, a massive pink light erupting like a second sun. The shockwaves rocked the ship, sending it into a spin, but sending them clear from the devastation. When the light faded, the older Saiyan cut the engines, letting the ship drift through space as it turned to face the truth no one wanted to accept.

Of the planet Earth, only dust remained.

_-I swallow my pride, but never forget what I want-_

_-Starting to long for a time, not fearing the war in my mind-_

--

Author's notes:

I know it was a little... bland, but the chapter was mostly filler anyway. The Earth had to go, and this was my way of making it happen.


	50. E10: Zzyzx Rd

-- Disturbance, Book 3: Endurance --

Chapter E10 - Zzyzx Rd.

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

--

_-I don't know how else to put this-  
-It's taken me so long to do this-  
-I'm falling asleep but I can't see straight-_

"No..." Goku's voice left him in a breathless whisper, as he sank to his knees defeatedly. "Gohan... Goten... They're... all gone..."

The scowl on Vegeta's face wavered, as the deceased prince forced himself not to show his pain at the loss of his son. His fist clenched tightly, a single word slipping past his lips; "Trunks..." Pain quickly turning to anger, Vegeta stormed over to the two recovering Kais, picking the muscled one up by the front of his vest and shouting, "You blithering idiot! You bumbling fool! In trying to save your own sorry skin you left over half of the greatest warriors in the universe to die!" He slammed his fist into the Kai's face, sending him sprawling across the planet.

Fist clenching and unclenching, Vegeta tried to force himself to calm down. He knew what came next. He knew, deep in his bones, that Majin Buu would find them. He would find a way to reach them, and he would end this battle forever. He was going to need to save his strength if he ever hoped to defeat the monster.

"So what do we do now?" Dende's voice was small and frightened. It was never more obvious that, for all his power, Dende was still a child himself, not truly prepared for such horror.

To Vegeta's surprise, Goku answered before he could, his voice colder and emptier than the prince had ever heard from the nigh-eternally cheerful fighter. "We prepare for battle. Majin Buu will find us here, and when he does, we are going to end this." Goku and Vegeta would eternally be rivals; the 'human' trying not to be Saiyan, and the Saiyan trying not to be 'human'. Despite that, for the first time ever, Vegeta felt camaraderie with his rival, the two united in their grief, and thirst for revenge.

"But how are we going to stop him?" Shin asked worriedly.

Kibito's voice questioned next, "Should they use those fusion earrings Master Elder?"

The same thought seemed to run through both Saiyan's head: 'If it gets the job done'. Elder, however, shook his head, commenting, "Did they teach you people nothing? The Potara earrings would only make things worse in this case."

"Worse?" Dende parroted, almost scoffing. "I don't see how things could possibly be _worse_!"

"Then allow me to point out two facts for you then," Elder shot back. "One: Goku is alive while Vegeta is dead. Two: Goku is good, while Vegeta is evil. Do you really believe combining these two into a single warrior will actually make the situation better? At least like this, there is a chance that Goku could sever Majin Buu from his power source."

"And what would you have me do?" Vegeta sneered.

Elder waved him away. "What you do best: as much damage as possible."

With a nod, the two Saiyans walked off to begin their preparations, stopping only when Dende called out, "Do... Do you really think you can win?"

The rivals spared a glance at each other, before Goku replied, "If we don't, who will?"

_-My muscles feel like a melee-  
-My body's curled in a 'u' shape-  
-I put on my best but I'm still afraid-_

The mood on the Icebreaker was sombre, first as the people on board gave a moment of silence for the lost planet Earth, then as they realised just how close the two young men were to joining it. The mood was irrevocably broken when Pi tackled her mate to the ground in a massive Saiyan-style glomp, moments before Kat and the twins dog piled him. Goten clearly wanted to do the same with his brother, but he held back, observing the almost identical looks on his mother and Videl's faces.

Both very clearly wanted nothing more than to rush over to the demi-Saiyan teen, throw their arms around him, and never let go, yet both seemed to reach the conclusion that the other had as much right to it as they did. In the end, it was Gohan himself who broke the tie, running over to Videl and picking her up in his arms, even spinning her around a little before setting her back on the steel floor, his arms wrapped tight around her lithe body, and hers around his muscular one.

The look he gave his mother over Videl's shoulder was apologetic, yet clearly said, 'She needed it more.' Chichi understood that well; were it her Goku standing there, she would beat anyone who stood in her way black and blue, family or otherwise.

A smile broke out on her face, before Chichi sighed dramatically, exclaimed, "My little boy's growing up," and collapsed backwards in relief, being quickly caught by Bulma and her father. With everyone's eyes on the over-dramatic mother, almost no one noticed the two couples slip from the room.

They had just survived a very real brush with death. They deserved some alone time.

_-Propped up by lies with promises-  
-Saving my place as life forgets-  
-Maybe it's time I saw the world-_

A brisk walk deep into the Icebreaker, hand in hand, found Kaen and Pi in their old room. The room they shared during their many months in space. The room in which they first became one; Kaen felt a nostalgic smile come to his face.

Settling on the bed he leaned back, folding his hands behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. There were so many things he wanted, needed to say, whether she knew his thoughts or not, that he couldn't settle on any one. After a few moments consideration though, he remarked, "It's been a while since we've been alone, you know. Me and you." He sighed a little. "I guess we need to take the time to, sorta, catch up, and figure out where we are, you know? I mean, with everything that's happened, we gotta find where we are, together."

There were a few moments of silence before Kaen sat up again, curious as to why his mate hadn't responded, only to find her naked as the day she was born, with the slightest of smirks on her face. He had all of a moment to gape, and to mouth the word 'beautiful', before she caught him in a kiss that took his breath away.

Several pleasurably exhausting moments later, Kaen lay with Pi against his chest, his fingers running through her hair, as he smirked. "Or that. We good?"

"We're very good," she purred, listening to the sound of his heartbeat, thumping in perfect time to her own. It was true, what many people said, that actions speak far louder than words, and more than enough words had been spoken more than loud enough to drown out anything but the peace and serenity the two felt in each other's arms right now. There was no force in the 'verse that would separate them, not any more.

Sliding out of the bed, stifling a disappointed moan at the loss of the heat he provided, she strode over to their private bathroom, looking over her shoulder at him as she inclined her head suggestively. "Round two, and then we get something to eat?"

"Oh hell yes." He needed no further encouragement, moving behind her quickly and wrapping his arms around her, as she herded him inside.

_-I'm only here for a while-  
-But patience is not my style-  
-And I'm so tired that I gotta go-_

Gohan and Videl found themselves a room far secluded from the others on the ship, Gohan having led her there silently, and closing the door; he didn't know whose room it was, only that it was empty, and would provide them with much needed privacy. Sitting down on the bed he tugged the shorthaired girl onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Videl was completely stunned with joy at seeing him again that it took her a good minute to realise that he had taken her to a private room of their own, and not long after that she found herself blushing severely from both her position, and the sensation of Gohan now nuzzling her neck softly, just below her ear. Trying to push the rising feelings aside, and chalking his actions up to just Gohan being affectionate, she remarked timidly, almost in a whisper, "I knew you weren't dead."

He smiled, replying, "I know. It was close, but I have a few too many things to live for to die now. My mother, Goten, my school work..." She tried to scowl as he trailed off, and tried not to grin and giggle like a school girl when he added after a deliberate pause, "And a very pretty girlfriend who would do very unkind things to me if I left her with a grave to tend."

Despite herself, Videl couldn't help the laugh that came out, before she swatted Gohan away from her neck; it was somewhat unsettling, though not unpleasantly so, but it made it very hard to stay mad at him. "You're wrong you know," she remarked, staring deep into his midnight eyes, "Unkind doesn't even begin to describe the things I would do to you if you even thought of leaving me so soon."

_-What am I supposed to hide now?-  
-What am I supposed to do?-  
-Did you really think I wouldn't see this through?-_

He laughed a little himself, replying, "Well, you do have a tendency to bite off more than you can chew." 'Videl would make a great Saiyan.' Where that thought came from he didn't know, but he found he couldn't refute it.

She gave him a wry smile. "That's just because I fear nothing. I even took on Buu when he arrived at the Lookout."

His eyes widened slightly; no one had informed him of _that_. "Really?"

Her smile turned amused. "Yeah. Didn't work out all that great, considering he could, and would have, turned me inside out, but what can I say, I fight for the things I love."

Gohan just smiled back at her. "Typical Videl. Headstrong, reckless, and nothing but sheer courage."

A smile still on her lips, Videl shook her head, before resting it on his shoulder, facing away from him. "That's just a nice way of saying I was stupid and ineffectual."

_-Tell me I should stick around for you-  
-Tell me I could have it all-  
-I'm still too tired to care and I gotta go-_

"True," he acceded, "But you're my girlfriend, so I need to be nice to you."

She turned her head to face him, craning her neck to look into Gohan's eyes. "So you would have insulted me if I wasn't?"

Smirking back, he remarked, "Of course not. I'm a nice guy, and I'd still be trying to get into your pants, so I'd be nice anyway."

The human girl just giggled. "Funny Gohan, but you're not in my pants now."

He slowly ran a hand down along her lower back, his fingers leaving goosebumps on her skin. "Closer before at any rate."

_-I get to go home in one week-  
-But I'm leaving home in three weeks-  
-They throw me a bone just to pick me dry-_

Videl suddenly became _very_ aware of the position she was in with Gohan, and exactly where his hands were on her body. A very definite blush filled her cheeks, and the shiver that ran down her spine was far from unpleasant. With a shaky pair of hands, she grabbed the hem of her shirt, slowly raising it to reveal the delicate flesh beneath, but she was stayed by a rough pair of hands. "G-gohan?" She questioned, looking her boyfriend in the eye again. "I-I thought-"

"Videl," he cut her off, a gentle smile on his face. "Believe me when I say I want this, want _you_, more than words can express. But I want this to be special, something tender, and slow. I want to do this without fear, when all that matters in this world is you, me, and the love we share." Pressing his lips against her forehead, he added softly, "We'll make it through this. I promise."

With a feeling of relief, and a slight pang of regret, Videl let the shirt fall back into place with a soft sigh. She knew they weren't ready, but still, part of her she'd been ignoring for far too long had wanted this; she was just glad Gohan had more self control than she did. That thought slipped away, her sigh turning into a shudder of delight, as his hands moved again, one sliding beneath her shirt to stroke the smooth skin beneath. Looking into his eyes, now twinkling with mischief, she remarked, "I thought you said you wanted to wait?"

"Of course I do," he replied smoothly, an innocent look on his face. "That doesn't mean we can't have a little fun." His eyes turned predatory, and she had a moment to gasp and smile as he started to kiss her neck again.

The smile on her face could have lit up the room, as she threaded her fingers into his hair, dragging him up briefly to kiss him. Some things were definitely worth the wait.

_-I'm following suit and directions-  
-I crawl up inside for protection-  
-I'm told what to do and I don't know why-_

It was a good hour, at least, before the two couples returned to the control room, incidentally both arriving at the same time. It seemed the hour was more than enough time for the others to not only notice their absence, but to reach a conclusion about what they'd been doing; the lecherous looks on Krillin and Yamcha's faces was clear enough indication of that. Putting the humans out of his mind, Kaen turned to his father, asking with the airs of a commanding officer, "Status report?" He promptly kicked himself for acting like that, but the older Saiyan merely gave him one of those 'explain later' eyebrows.

He did, however, respond in kind, replying, "Buu's regenerating steadily. I'd say we have maybe another half hour until he's whole again if we're unlucky, an hour if we're lucky."

Pi scowled slightly, remarking, "Doesn't leave us much time to recover does it?"

It appeared Krillin could no longer hold his comments in, blurting out, "I guess all of that 'End of the world' sex wouldn't have helped much eh?"

Pi's scowl deepened, and she was half a heartbeat from beating the short man black and blue when Kaen laid one hand on her shoulder and replied, "You use that sort of language around your daughter? What sort of example are you trying to set you pervert?"

It seemed Yamcha's control was the next to break as he added, "Don't try to deny it; you're both clearly freshly showered and dressed." That much was true, as both Kaen and Pi had chosen to don a new gi before coming out, though that could just have been because their old clothes had a date with Mr. Incinerator after what they'd been through.

Now, Kaen could have been honest about what had happened, but quite frankly it was none of the weakling's business, so he replied dryly, "In case you hadn't noticed, but in the space of forty-eight hours we've been in several climactic battles, nearly killed each other, became coated in our own and each other's blood, I actually _sweated_ blood at one point, then had to spend some time in that rejuvenation liquid, before being swallowed by Buu, which was an experience in and of itself. If we want to freshen up, and burn those old clothes, that's our right, and quite frankly, none of your goddamn business."

_-I'm over existing in limbo-  
-I'm over the myths and placebos-  
-I don't really mind if I just fade away-_

Thankful that Krillin and the others had homed onto Kaen and Pi first, and had been derailed before either of them could direct their attention his way, Gohan asked the room, "How goes prep work for our counter attack?"

"We do have one advantage," Kellre threw in, thankful for a new topic; sometimes, those humans just got on his nerves. Quite frankly, he'd be glad to see them off his ship. "Despite whatever abilities this new Buu may have, he can't find us here."

"Which means he's going to go after Goku and Vegeta," Kaen interpreted with a nod, before asking, "Will he be able to find them?"

With a helpless shrug, Avarrdo nodded. "With enough power to the scanners, _I_ can find them. The mass deaths on Earth, coupled with the destruction of the entire planet, and the frequent trans-dimensional hops in the past few days have destabilised the barriers between this world and the next."

The four teens shared a look, before directing their gaze at Truniz to translate, and he didn't disappoint. "Buu ripped a bigass hole into Otherworld, so once he's whole again he'll have no prob trackin' down Vegeta and Kakarott."

"How are we going to get there?" Pi questioned. "Because I'm pretty sure Otherworld is outside the range of our teleporter."

"I can get us there," Gohan remarked. "Though I may need to plug into your scanners to find the place."

"That's that sorted then," Kellre nodded, like he'd always expected that answer. "Now, the question that remains is, what are you going to do when you get there?"

_-I'm ready to live with my family-  
-I'm ready to die in obscurity-  
-Cause I'm so tired that I gotta go-_

Kaen could tell that question was directed at him. He'd chosen to act like a leader, so he would have to accept a leader's responsibility. He closed his eyes, clearing his mind of all distractions, before replying, "Okay, I have an idea."

He laid out his plans clear and simple, making sure everyone understood one part before moving on to the next. By the time he'd finished, he couldn't help but notice the looks of mild awe on some people's faces, and the respect shining in the other Saiyan's eyes. Truniz was the first to comment, remarking, "Damn boy, where'd you learn to do that? I still remember a time when you couldn't plan for shit, just a few months back."

Kaen waved one hand dismissively, remarking casually, "When you've been two Generals, one King, and one Ruler-of-all-he-surveys, you pick up a few things." He hurried on before anyone could question that statement. "Everyone understand their job?"

"What do you want us to do?" Trunks piped up, indicating himself and the other children.

"Stay the hell off the battlefield," he replied with a shrug and a semi-stern glance; a glance that couldn't hide the concern in his eyes. "Not to insult your abilities, but we need to concentrate to the fullest out there, and we won't be able to do that worrying about you four."Goten and Lime pouted, and Trunks and Oran both looked like they wanted to complain, but decided not to, merely nodding defeatedly and sitting down against one of the consoles.

Kaen sighed to himself; he'd tried to spare their feelings, he really had. "Besides," he added, "We're going to need a reserve force should the first wave fail, and there's no one I'd rather have than you guys." Okay, that was a half-truth, but if it made them feel better it was worth it; the slight grin that managed to break through Oran and Trunks' tough guy images was proof enough of his success in that regard.

_-Where am I supposed to whine now?-  
-What am I supposed to do?-  
-You still don't think I'm going see this through?-_

Looking concernedly between the three Saiyan teens from her position by Gohan's side, discretely holding his hand, Videl asked, "Are you guys gonna be alright to fight?" When they turned to her curiously, or in Kaen's case amusedly (when was he _not_ alright to fight?) she clarified, "I mean, Gohan went toe to toe with Buu alone for a while, and the two of you used a tonne of energy while you were fused so... I just want to make sure we're giving this every chance to succeed we can..." She trailed off at the end, feeling foolish for having spoken, but the reassuring squeeze Gohan gave her hand made her feel a little better.

Shrugging slightly, Pi replied, "Well, Kaen and I aren't 'full', but we've got plenty of energy to spare. In our base form we've probably got enough energy left to last maybe four days, so at full power we'd have... Hmm, two hours. Give or take." Shrugging again, she amended, "Well, Kaen would have two, I'd have four, because I can't reach the third level yet."

Kellre quirked an eyebrow. 'Just how much energy do they have?' He mused to himself. 'Once this is over, I must run a few tests and collect their data.' "Nevertheless," he interjected, "now is probably a good time to try out a little experiment of Avarrdo and I, something we whipped up for just such a situation." Reaching under the workstation near him, he absently lobbed three cans, one to each teen.

With a sigh, Kaen rolled the can around in his hand. Somehow, deep inside, he knew that neither Gohan nor Pi would try this... whatever it was before he did, but if he was going to be a guinea pig _again_ he wanted to know what he was in for first. "An energy drink?" He asked wryly, giving his old man a wan look, but Avarrdo just smiled knowingly. Shrugging, Kaen popped the top and downed it, sculling the entire can. And was almost floored when he felt his energy return in a massive rush.

"Nice, huh?" Avarrdo grinned at the look on Kaen's face. "We had help making them. From a certain cat god that lives near the top of the world." That was all Gohan needed to hear, knocking his back, with Pi soon following; if Korin not only helped make it, but was willing to admit involvement with it, then it had to be good. Bulma had tried to get him to help her synthesise senzu beans a while back; it didn't work out to well, and he's disavowed the whole thing. "They won't heal wounds," there was a clear unspoken 'yet', "but they'll restore energy to full in an instant. Should be worth a mint on the market." The other Saiyans just rolled their eyes at him.

Crushing the empty can, Kaen remarked, "Alright people. We've got maybe ten minutes until Buu wakes up again, more if we're lucky, but don't count on it. Let's make ready."

_-Tell me I'm a part of history-  
-Tell me I can have it all-_

Sitting around, playing cards with the other Kais, Shin could almost believe things were back to the way they were before Buu existed, but a quick glance to his right shattered that feeling instantly. Underneath one of the many trees nearby sat Goku and Vegeta, perfect opposites of each other, quietly meditating, and the Kais respected that sense of quiet, keeping noise to a minimum as they played.

With a grimace, Shin folded, turning his attention entirely to studying the two meditating Saiyans. Goku and Vegeta, as opposite as night and day, even to what they wore, with Goku's vibrant orange, and Vegeta's sombre blue. Goku, his hair wild and spiked, looked like a 'lower class', a commoner, while Vegeta, with his hair rigid in it's crown formation, looked every bit the prince he claimed by birthright; not that Shin would ever admit that out loud, least of all in Vegeta's earshot.

Even their meditation strategies were different. Whereas Goku sought to calm his mind, to clear his thoughts of all distractions, Vegeta fought to focus his anger, to bind it to his will, to strengthen him. Whereas Goku polished the sword, making it gleam to perfection, to remove all barbs and make it slip through flesh and armour easily, Vegeta sharpened the blade, to better tear through those that stood against him.

Shin would've probably continued to compare and contrast the two Saiyans until the next game started, had Elder now shouted suddenly, "Buu's coming!"

"No," Goku intoned calmly, the first he'd spoken in what felt like hours now, "He's already here."

A slight whistling noise, sounding much like the very air around them screaming in pain, was all that heralded the cold, empty face that haunted the Kais. Glancing between those assembled, the monster beat his chest before leaning his head back and screaming his war cry to the heavens. "BUUUUUUUU!!"

The fight had begun.

_-I'm still too tired to care and I gotta go-_

--

Author's notes:

Alright then, we're on the home straight now. And now, for the boss battle. :D


	51. E11: Kryptonite

--- Disturbance, Book 3: Endurance ---

Chapter E11 - Kryptonite

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_-I took a walk around the world to ease my troubled mind-  
-I left my body laying somewhere in the sands of time-_

In a plane of existence normally reserved for the dead, on a planet no mortal had stood on until the previous day, stood all that remained to protect the universe from destruction, and that self-same destruction made manifest. The planet itself was silent, save for the wind blowing through the trees nearby. The only sound, in fact, not made by nature, was the soft, evil chuckle of the monster before them.

Goku eyed Buu warily as the monster glared between him and Vegeta. He could see, in the creature's eyes, that this Buu was pure evil. There would be no talking him down, no honourable combat, no quarter given. Once this fight started, Goku knew it would not end until one side was dead.

Goku turned his gaze to Vegeta, keeping Buu in his peripheral vision. The Saiyan prince had died once already, and if he were to die again, he would cease to exist. It was funny, in a way, how the tables had turned, as just yesterday, Goku had been the one with the halo, and Vegeta was alive. Vegeta had made the ultimate sacrifice to defeat Buu, his mortal body, and it had failed.

Goku would not let Vegeta fall again. Rival or no, even if it cost Goku his new life, he would ensure Vegeta was not slain by this creature again.

While Vegeta would never admit it, even under torture, deep down inside he was scared of this monster. The prince knew he wasn't strong enough to kill Majin Buu. One on one, he knew the monster would kill him. However, Majin Buu had killed his son, and for that transgression, Vegeta was willing to risk his very existence to avenge his heir.

The tense mood was shattered when Goku, his voice jovial but battle-hardened, asked, "Hey Vegeta, play you for first?"

_-But I watched the world float to the dark side of the moon-  
-I feel there is nothing I can do, yeah-_

'What in all that's good and just in this universe are they doing?' Dende thought bemusedly, as he watched Goku and Vegeta playing, of all things in the 'verse, Janken. For almost a minute now, every game they'd played, they would both pick the exact same option, and would be forced to play another game. And it didn't look like they were going to stop any time soon.

Looking around, the minor God noticed that the five Kais all looked as stunned by the event as he was; well, all except Shin, oddly enough. Closing his eyes, Dende tried to pick up a few of the Kai's surface thoughts. 'Must they do this _every_ time?' He overheard Shin muttering to himself mentally, before being treated to the memory of a similar event taking place yesterday in Babidi's ship, only between five Saiyans, instead of just the two present.

An amused smile flickering across his face, Dende blinked a bit as if his sharp eyes spotted something. 'Goku just won, and they kept playing. What **are** they doing?'

It was subtle, at first, but slowly the assembled demigods could notice the build up of power happening in both Saiyans, and realisation came suddenly; the pair were using this 'game' as cover to gather their energy. And Buu, it seemed, was quite content to let them play. 'Actually,' Dende mused to himself with the slightest of smiles, 'It looks like they've almost bored him to sleep.'

"You know," Elder commented quietly, "Maybe we shouldn't be here when they actually start. I'm pretty sure it'll get real rough real fast."

A bead of sweat slid down Shin's face as he thought of the damage their pristine planet would soon suffer. "That... is a very good idea..." The current (former?) overseer of the universe remarked, before, seconds later, Kibito teleported them away to watch the fight from elsewhere in Otherworld.

_-I watched the world float to the dark side of the moon-  
-After all I knew it had to be something to do with you-_

"Rock! Scissors! Paper! Rock! Scissors! Paper!" 'Good, almost there.' Goku mused to himself, slowly bringing his power level up. He could have brought his power out faster, of course, but that would've gotten Buu's attention, and he was pretty sure the monster was hoping to fight a weaker opponent. Casting a quick eye at the creature, he noticed it seemed to be sleeping standing up, judging by the snoring and the snot bubble.

Despite what many people thought, Goku Son was no dunce; well, for all things combat, at least. He may not have had the subtlety and cunning of Piccolo, but having fought the man and his father many times, he'd learnt a few things. Similarly, having fought Vegeta and his ilk many times, he'd acquired the Saiyan prince's 'kick in the door' approach to combat, and he merged both of these attitudes with his own personal combat style.

It was time to see if this new style bore fruit.

In truth, the Earth-raised Saiyan was a little surprised Vegeta had caught onto his plan so quickly. Goku knew there was only one way they were going to defeat Buu: they had to hit him with everything they had from the start. Overwhelm the creature before he could draw too deep from the potentially limitless well of power he had available. He had to hit Buu with all of his strength, without giving the monster the same chance to gather strength.

With a sensation like a bell ringing in his mind, Goku realised he'd gathered all the power he'd be able to tap into without kicking things up a notch. He sent a nod Vegeta's way; it was time. Time to end this once and for all.

_-I really don't mind what happens now and then-  
-As long as you'll be my friend at the end-_

Goku raced forward in a blur of motion, releasing the gathered energy and ascending into Super Saiyan Two in an instant, powering up all the way to his maximum in this form; he was still too 'new' at level three to shortcut his way to his full power, so this would have to do for now.

Before Buu could so much as register the power up, Goku slammed his right fist into the monster's stomach, folding the pink creature around his hand as he shouted, "ROCK!" Extending two fingers on his left hand, he jabbed them into Buu's neck, and construct he may have been, but Goku still succeeded in collapsing the creature's windpipe, and temporarily stunning him. "SCISSORS!" Bringing his left hand back, he extended his fingers flat, then slammed the palm of his ki-charged hand into the creature's chest, causing an explosive reaction that rocketed Buu away at high speed. "PAPER!"

By luck, fate, or design, Buu slammed backwards through a series of trees, snapping each but slowing himself slightly, before wrapping around the fourth one with all the grace and form of a bug splattering against the windshield of a truck.

It took Buu a few moments to pull himself together again, and when he did, he looked pissed; a fact backed up by the ear-piercing shriek the monster unleashed. The sonic attack also caused the felled trees to shatter like glass, and send the jagged fragments at the cringing Saiyan.

Focusing his ki in front of him to incinerate the wood shards before they could harm him, Goku was completely blind to the rapidly approaching Buu. He would have been hit, too, with a punch easily strong enough to dislodge some teeth, if not for a warning niggle in the back of his mind that warned him to get the hell out of the way.

That warning proved important, as moments after Buu's fist passed through an after image left behind by the fleeing Saiyan, the entire area was glassed by a massive blue ki ball, moments before the winds carried out the attacker's cry of "Big Bang Attack!" Super Saiyan Two Vegeta grinned as he landed next to Goku, remarking, "You didn't really think I was going to sit this out did you?"

_-If I go crazy then will you still call me Superman?-_

_-If I'm alive and well, will you be there a-holding my hand?-_

"Damnit, he's earlier than we anticipated!" Avarrdo cursed, rushing to his console to begin tracing the monster's co-ordinates.

"Which means either he's stronger than we believed," Kellre mused, assisting his life-long friend, "Or he's not at full strength."

"Either way, we need to get there as soon as possible," Kaen remarked, pacing impatiently up and down the length of the control room.

Rolling his eyes at his son, Avarrdo replied calmly, "Hold your horses boy." A few key presses later, he added, "Found it. A direct pathway to Otherworld, and one hell of a battle."

"That's great and all, but how am I gonna be able to sense where we're going through your shields?" Gohan asked curiously.

Wordlessly, Kellre reached under the console and pulled out what looked like two electrodes, instructing, "Affix these to your temples." Wary, but compliant, Gohan did as told. "Now," the elder Saiyan remarked with something of a grin, "This may feel, a little weird."

_-I'll keep you by my side with my superhuman might-  
-Kryptonite-_

A gasp escaped Gohan's lips as his consciousness was, for lack of a better word, ripped from his body and flung along the cybernetic pathways through the hole in space/time and into Otherworld. For a matter of seconds, Gohan stood once again on the World of the Kais, before being ripped back to his body.

Slumping backwards, he found arms around his waist steadying him, before noticing the scent that came with them; a subtle application of perfume, perspiration, and a scent that was unique, and branded in his mind. His Videl. "I'm okay," he remarked quickly, steadying his legs, though he made no move to remove the girl's arms from around him.

"So, we good to go?" Pi asked, her voice slipping into battle-mode.

With a helpless shrug, Gohan replied, "Well, I found our destination, but we've got a bit of a problem. Dende and the Kais are gone."

A string of Saiyan curses slipping out, Kaen scrubbed one hand through his hair, before sighing and remarking, "Okay, Plan B it is."

"'Plan B'?" The human girl asked.

Kaen just grinned, pressing the middle two fingers of his left hand against his temple as his eyes slid shut. "Yes, 'B'. I just need to make a long distance call."

"To who?"

His grin widened. "An old friend."

_-You called me strong, you called me weak, but still your secrets I will keep-  
-You took for granted all the times I never let you down-_

"Vegeta?" The younger Saiyan gave the prince an odd look. "Why...?" There were so many 'why's he wanted to ask, but couldn't think of which one would make the haughty Saiyan less offended.

Fortunately for Goku, he didn't have to say anything else, as Vegeta answered, "Listen to me Kakarott. If today has proven nothing else to me, it is that you are the stronger of the two of us. If either of us are going to defeat Majin Buu, it will be you, but I know you can't do it at your level; you will need to go beyond. However, I know you will not be able to do that as long as your fight with Buu continues."

"Vegeta..." Goku honestly didn't know what to say that wouldn't further damage the prince's ego.

The Saiyan prince cut him off before he could say anything else. "I will give you the time you need to power up." His face hardened. "Don't squander it." Powering up as high as he could, bolts of blue lightning arcing off his form, Vegeta charged towards the monster, recovering swiftly in the still-glowing crater.

"...Thank you Vegeta," Goku remarked quietly, knowing the elder Saiyan wouldn't want to hear the words, but they had to be said. Putting two fingers to his forehead, Goku teleported as far away as he dared go, focusing his will to drawing out his full power.

"Come on you ugly pink son of a bitch!" Vegeta shouted, screaming towards Buu at high speed. "Your fight is with me now!" Buu opened his mouth, almost certainly to unleash another sonic scream, but Vegeta wasn't going to give him that chance. Blurring forward, Vegeta charged a ball of ki in one hand and slammed it into Buu's mouth, before detonating it with an uppercut to the monster's jaw, and unknowingly echoing Gohan from maybe three hours earlier.

Not giving the creature a moment's respite, Vegeta unleashed upon Buu the raw fury of an angered Saiyan, unleashing wave after wave of devastatingly powerful punches and kicks. Against any normal creature, Vegeta's attacks would have liquefied its insides, and shattered it's bones into powder; against Majin Buu however, all he managed to do was piss the monster off.

With an echoing shriek, Buu unleashed a torrent of energy, driving Vegeta back several feet, but the prince didn't let that stop him. Gathering ki at his side, Vegeta unleashed a massive purple beam of ki with a cry of "Gallic Gun!" When the beam hit Buu's shield, however, it didn't detonate; instead, it began wrapping around it. It wasn't until the two ends met up on the other side, poetically just as Buu's shield dropped, that the fun began.

Instead of a single explosion, the ki ring detonated in a series of small explosions, battering Buu's form, before finally reaching the main mass, which exploded with enough force to send Buu rocketing into, and through, a mountainside almost a mile away.

_-You stumbled in and bumped your head, if not for me then you'd be dead-  
-I picked you up and put you back on solid ground-_

A smirk on his face, Vegeta focused ki through his hands and fired off a short series of blasts after the fast receding form of Buu, before the creature could pass the horizon; he wasn't entirely surprised to find it did nothing. Seconds before any of the blasts could hit, Buu snapped upright, batting the first few blasts away, warping his body out of the way of the next few, before finally opening his mouth and eating the last one.

The dust of the shattered mountain hadn't even had time to settle before Buu retaliated. His mouth opened again a mere fraction of a second after it had closed to swallow, his throat glowing with pink ki, before he belched out a jagged bolt of energy at his Super Saiyan opponent.

Gritting his teeth, Vegeta held a hand out, catching the oncoming blast and forcing it back into a ball. With his attention focused thus, he almost missed the extended fist aiming to take his head off; almost. Ducking under Buu's incoming extended arm, then weaving to the side to avoid the other arm, Vegeta waited until Buu almost passed him by before swinging his hand out and catching Buu by the face; the hand still holding the deadly ki blast.

There were a few seconds as Buu's body continued, his neck stretching rather disgustingly, before the ki blast exploded, sending Buu hurtling back again, cart wheeling through the air due to the snap-back of his elastic neck. Throwing his hands out to either side, Vegeta focused his power again, throwing his hands forward and merging the ki balls before unleashing his trademark attack. "Final Flash!"

Majin Buu disappeared in a massive mushroom cloud, and though he lost sight of his target, Vegeta couldn't keep the self-satisfied smirk off his face. Unfortunately, the blinding flash of light, and the ensuing dust cloud, meant he couldn't see Buu's return to combat. He felt it soon enough, though, as extended pink arms grabbed his upper arms, before spinning him in rapid circles, slamming him through trees, rocks, and anything else within reach, before hurling him into the side of a mountain. Reaching back to form a car-sized pink energy ball, Buu shouted his first word since his rebirth, as he launched the attack. "DIE!"

"You first." A gravely voice retorted, moments before Buu's attack was sliced in half vertically by a yellow energy disc. Moments later, that same disc sliced clean through Buu, cutting him into two symmetrical pieces. Materialising between the bisected monster and the downed prince, Super Saiyan Three Goku had arrived. Round three had officially begun.

_-If I go crazy then will you still call me Superman?-  
-If I'm alive and well, will you be there a-holding my hand?-_

Kaen himself would be the first to tell you he considered his telepathic skills meagre at best; he's focused his training towards strengthening his chi and ki, leaving his psi to fall by the wayside. The bond he had with Pi gave him a leg up on Joe Average when it came to training his mental abilities, but he still believed himself lacking. Which is why he was surprised at the ease at which he established a mental connection with his target, but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

It was ironic, in a way, just how close telepathy was to a phone call, because once you sent out the connection, you had to wait for the other end to 'answer' before a conversation could begin. Skilled telepaths, or people forcing the issue hard enough, could force a connection, but that wasn't exactly ideal for polite conversation. Kaen could almost imagine hold music, or at least a dial tone, as he waited for the 'line' to be picked up.

It was a few moments before Flute responded, greeting his Saiyan friend a slowly. _'While I am more than happy to hear from you again, you certainly chose an inopportune moment.'_

Kaen winced slightly, muttering more to himself than to Flute. _'Sorry. See, this is why I don't call often. You guys keep such an odd schedule compared to us I never know whether I'm gonna interrupt something. Were you meditating with Viola?'_

_'...Yes, I was.'_ Flute replied, before quickly changing the subject. '_I take it, once more, this is not a social call?'_

Kaen 'shrugged' helplessly. _'Sorry man. I swear, one of these days I'm gonna call just to talk and catch up, but life's been hectic. Who would've thought settling down could be so stressful?'_ Not wanting to take up any more of his old friend's time than he had to, he quickly explained the situation, and the plan.

_'I wondered what that dark energy I could feel was...'_ The Namek mused. _'Don't worry, we'll take care of things on our end. You have my word.'_

_''Preciate it,'_ Kaen replied, more jovially then before. _'This works, we're so gonna need to catch up proper, but 'til then, stay safe.'_ With nothing more to say, Kaen drew his consciousness back, ending the 'call'.

_-I'll keep you by my side with my superhuman might-  
-Kryptonite-_

After the connection was broken, Kaen was left to speculate on just what, exactly, Flute's behaviour earlier meant. A horrifying realisation hit him quickly, and he remarked slowly, "...Wait, they were getting it on..."

Pi tilted her head to one side, asking, "Who?" She'd been mere seconds away from asking how things went when he'd spoken, and his statement completely derailed her train of thought."

"Flute and Viola," he replied, giving her a look as if to say 'who the fuck else would I have meant?'

If she noticed said look, she paid it no mind, commenting, "Aww, that's nice."

Kaen just shook his head slowly, moaning, "Fuck, I seriously didn't need that mental image..."

A thoughtful look on his face, Gohan mused aloud, "Hmm, I wonder if it works the same way for Nameks as it does for humans and Saiyans..."

Kaen glared at the teen, spitting, "Shut it half-boy. We're about to go into a battle to decide the fate of the universe; I _really_ don't need this rattling around in my head."

Gohan just smirked back. "Oh, it's way too late for that." Carrying on his previous comment, he muttered thoughtfully, "I wonder if _everything_ is green..." He ignored Kaen's squawk of shock. "Maybe I should ask Dende when I see him next..."

_-If I go crazy then will you still call me Superman?-  
-If I'm alive and well, will you be there holding my hand?-_

Kaen just shuddered in mild horror. "You seriously can't want to know this stuff..." He drawled sourly.

Gohan just smirked back. "I have no idea why this aggravates you, but it's pure gold!" His eyes shining with amusement, he added, "I've found your weakness! I need more ammo."

Kaen just shuddered again, barking defensively, "Hey, I had to give Flute the sex talk! The fact he's actually _using_ that advice is..." There were lots of things that was; too many, in fact, to settle on a single word, so the Saiyan teen just trailed off.

A giggle escaped Pi's lips. "I recall you finding it immensely amusing at the time though."

"That's because it _was_ amusing at the time, but now it's almost like walking in on your parents and catching them in the act." He shuddered again, before glaring half-heartedly over at Pi and commenting wryly, "You're not helping you know?"

"Sure I am!" The girl replied perkily. She waited just long enough for him to give her the 'what the fuck do you mean' look before adding, "I'm helping the same way you help a fire: by throwing more fuel on it!"

Kaen rolled his eyes at her. "You're supposed to be on my side..."

She just grinned back. "Since when?"

_-I'll keep you by my side with my superhuman might-  
-Kryptonite-  
-Yeah!!-_

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Kaen groaned dryly, "Can we _not_ have this discussion now? While I have absolutely no doubt the two of you will bring this up again later, if only just to torture me, we've got a battle to get to. Majin Buu, remember? Fate of the Universe?"

"Oh alright," Gohan replied, rolling his eyes. "If only because everything I know and love will cease to exist if we don't."

"Take these with you," Kellre interjected, producing two more cans of the energy drink. "I'm sure the boys will need them."

Grinning at her father referring to Goku and Vegeta as 'the boys', Pi turned to their half-Saiyan transporter and asked, "You still know where we're going 'Han?"

"Sure do," the teen replied swiftly, walking towards Videl and adding, "Just one thing I need to take care of first." Before anyone could question him, he slid one arm around Videl's back, wrapped the other behind her head, leaned down, and kissed her.

Her arms sliding around his neck instinctively, Videl melted into his embrace. The kiss lasted all of a minute before the human girl needed air, but for that minute, they were in a world of their own. No Buu, no annoying friends and family, no concerns or worries, just him, and her, and the love joining them. Separating from him, a smile on her lips, Videl rested her head against his chest, asking softly, "Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?"

"Inspiration," he replied just as softly, "To give me something to come back to." Leaning down to whisper directly into her ear, he added, "We'll do the rest when I come back." That was a lie, as Gohan knew he wouldn't bond with her as soon as the fight was over; she wasn't ready, and quite frankly, neither was he. However, he knew it would bring a rosy blush to her cheeks. "You know, you're cute when you blush."

"Gohan!" The girl chided, though it came out as more of a whine than she intended. 'Damn, I'm losing my edge!' the girl reeled to herself, though, despite how angry she wanted to be, she couldn't keep the smile from her face.

Taking a few steps back, Gohan felt Kaen and Pi each place a hand on either shoulder. Grinning cheekily, he remarked, "See ya later," raised two fingers to his forehead, and the trio were gone.

_-If I go crazy then will you still call me Superman?-  
-If I'm alive and well, will you be there a-holding my hand?-_

"Oh man, this doesn't look good... Even in Super Saiyan Three, I'm just not doing enough damage," Goku's bass voice growled out. While he'd never admit it out loud, this form was taking a lot more out of him now that he was alive than it had while he was dead, and he was tiring fast.

"Ugh, he's just toying with us!" Vegeta spat irritably, glaring at the pink monster, who, in turn, was chuckling at them.

"Look out, here he comes!" The younger Saiyan warned, but by then, Buu had already blurred forward, his arms extending to an obscene length and catching the prince in the stomach. Grabbing Vegeta's shoulders, Buu then swung him like a club into Goku, knocking the two of them to the ground.

"Grr, get off me Kakarott!" Vegeta growled, as the two landed awkwardly. Casting his eyes up as Goku began to rise, saw Buu preparing the killing blow; he swore loudly and kicked Goku away, barking, "Move Clown! Get off me!" He needn't have bothered.

As the attack began to descend, it was met halfway by a familiar looking blue energy wave, nullifying it completely, before three very welcome figures flew into view. His face brightening dramatically, Goku exclaimed, "Gohan! Kaen! Pi! You're all still alive!"

A grin on his face, Gohan noticed a now-angry Buu descending rapidly towards them. Powering up as high as he could in the few seconds it took for the monster to reach them, he lashed out with his knee, catching Buu in the gut, before withdrawing it and spinning around, rocking Buu with a series of spinning kicks, from alternating legs. With one last straight kick, he sent Buu careening uncontrollably into a distant mountain, before replying, "And kicking!" The other two teens grinned at his pun.

"Drink these," Pi remarked, holding out the two cans they'd brought. With a shrug, the two Saiyans took the offered drinks from her, downing the contents in one gulp; there was no time to drink it slowly. As their energy returned rapidly, matching smirks spread across both Goku and Vegeta's faces.

This battle was only just getting started.

_-I'll keep you by my side with my superhuman might-  
-Kryptonite!-_

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Author's notes:

I know, I know, the ending is a bit weak, but I have discovered that I suck at endings. That said, I don't particularly feel like correcting this, as this chapter has been the proverbial albatross around my neck for far too long, and I'm just glad to see the back of it.

Hopefully, the next will be done sooner. The action only heats up from here.

In other news, World of Warcraft is very quickly consuming my soul. Sad to say, I get more writing done at work than I do at home... At the rate I'm going, I'm starting to have doubts I'll meet the December 31 2008 deadline I set myself when I started this...


	52. E12: The Four Horsemen

--- Disturbance, Book 3: Endurance ---

Chapter E12 - The Four Horsemen

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_-By the last breath of the fourth winds blow-  
-Better raise your ears-  
-The sound of hooves knocks at your door-_

For a precious few seconds, all was quiet on the Kai's home world, save for the low rumble of the occasional loose rock falling, to land on Buu's current resting place. The silence was irrevocably broken, however, by the pink explosion heralding Bur's freedom from his earthly prison, as he shouted his name to the heavens, loud enough to shake the very planet they stood on.

Scowling in disgust, Pi remarked dryly, "Is he _always_ on?"

"Here he comes," Kaen commented, wasting no time in flaring into Super Saiyan, as Buu took off like a rocket towards them. He held his hands up as though praying, a small flame bursting into life on the ground before them, and, mere seconds before Buu reached them, he threw his hands out to either side, the small flame erupting into a massive wall of fire, encircling the five Saiyans.

Buu, it seemed, didn't feel particularly threatened by this wall of flame, and continued barrelling towards them. The creature was therefore surprised when, upon reaching the wall, he splattered against it like a bug hitting a windshield at high speeds.

Gohan blinked once in shock, an action echoed by his father and Vegeta, before asking, "How long will that hold him?"

Kaen grimaced as he stepped away from the wall. "At the level I was when I cast it? Not long. Hell, I'm a little surprised it worked at all, but I figured it was worth a shot."

"Let's not waste this chance then," Pi quipped, walking forward, as the five Saiyans fell into line. A grin on her face, she shouted, "Well boys, let's FIRE IT UP!"

_-Lock up your wife and children now-  
-Its time to wield the blade-  
-For now you have got some company-_

Once again, all was silent for the briefest of seconds, save for the crackle of the nearby wall of fire, and the low whistle of the wind, slowly rising. Then, five simultaneous battle roars erupted from Saiyan mouths, auras of power flaring into life around them, as Earth's last stand brought their strength to the fore.

Powering up to her maximum, Pi was only half surprised to find she could ascend beyond the base level of Super Saiyan; she had, after all, gone Super Saiyan Two as Paine, so her mind obviously remembered how to do it. As she approached her new limit, one she subconsciously recognized as the third level, she noticed with some horror that Kaen was still powering up.

Clenching his fists tighter, Kaen ignored the shouted warnings in his mind, courtesy of his worried mate, silencing them with a single thought, _'If my death is what it takes to defeat Buu and keep you and my family safe, I'll pay it willingly.'_

Paying the Saiyan couple to his right no mind, Gohan focused on two things, and nothing else: summoning his latent power, and keeping an eye on Buu. It had taken the creature twenty seconds to reconstruct after his spectacular crash, then another ten to realise the wall grew taller as he flew higher, to keep him out. Since then, however, he had been pounding at the shield, trying to break through, and the half-Saiyan knew it was only a matter of time.

As it turned out, he needn't have worried, as, when Kaen exploded into Super Saiyan Three, he did so quite literally, sending out a shockwave of energy that sent Buu reeling back a few feet, before the wall of flame died.

Looking to either side, Gohan felt a smirk come to his face, one mirrored by the four full-blooded Saiyans. It was poetic how they were lined up in a scale of power, and being flanked by two level two and two level three super Saiyans, and being just that little bit stronger than them, made Gohan feel like Death himself.

Smirks fully entrenched, the five Saiyans blasted into the air. The warm up round was over. The battle for the fate of the universe had officially begun.

_-The horsemen are drawing nearer-  
-On the leather steeds they ride-  
-They have come to take your life-_

One after another, four golden comets launched towards Majin Buu, trailed by the blue-wreathed Gohan. Vegeta, the first to take off, charged ki in both his hands, launching a series of blasts at Buu as he approached. Confident in his power, Majin Buu did nothing to stop the blasts, some going errant, but most striking his body, blasting small chunks and craters in his putty-like body. He was unprepared, then, when Vegeta suddenly blurred forward, right hand glowing brightly with golden energy, and slammed said golden blast directly into Buu's face.

The ki ball exploded on contact, burning out Buu's eyes, and creating a significant smoke cloud even should he regenerate them. Screaming wildly, Buu lashed out at Vegeta, the first few swings going wide before the monster caught a lucky break, batting the prince away with a wide-swung forearm. Dealing with Vegeta, however, left him wide open for the next assailant.

Fists coated in pulsing green ki, Pi charged into the opening Vegeta left, showing surprising speed even for her as she hammered Buu's torso repeatedly with a series of rapid punches. Just as Buu recovered enough to start to block her, she phased behind him, pounding where his kidneys would've been, before phasing in front of him again and slamming him over the head with her clenched hands, sending the monster careening to the ground.

His downwards descend was abruptly halted by a beam of red energy blasting into his chest, driving him back up again, before a second impacted his back on the direct opposite side, pinning him in place. As the beams detonated, Kaen charged into the dust cloud, ki blades at the ready, and slashed Buu's back and chest almost at random. After a few seconds of this, he released his hold on the ki, throwing them to stab into Buu's shoulders, and throwing his hands out to either side, gathering energy, before firing off his trademark Inferno Blast, and sending Buu skyward bound again.

Next to enter the fray was Goku, phasing in behind Buu and driving both feet into the monster's back, which, combined with the blast still driving him upwards, bent the monster around Goku's feet before the blast faded away, and Buu fell limply from the sky. Phasing in front of him again, Goku drove his fist into Buu's already battered gut, slamming him repeatedly with a short series of punches, before finishing with a combined elbow in the back and knee in the stomach, and let the monster fall once more.

Observing all of this was Gohan. The youngest of the five, Gohan had neither the experience, nor the knowledge that came from several decades (or more) of combat, but what he lacked, he made up for many times over with two things: power, and precision. That, and a knack for improvisation.

Charging ki into his hand, he slammed an open palm into Buu's chest, right where the monster's ribcage would've been had the creature had one, and unleashed a torrent of unstable energy directly into Buu's frame. Drawing his other fist back, as Buu thrashed about like he'd been hooked up to a power line, Gohan delivered a single, powerful punch to Buu's torso, sending the creature skyward for all of three seconds, before phasing behind him and lashing out with a punishing kick. Battered and dazed, the creature sailed uncontrollably through the air, slamming into, and through, a distant mountain, which collapsed around him.

_-On through the dead of night-  
-With the four horsemen ride-  
-Or choose your fate and die-_

The dust hadn't even begun to settle around Majin Buu's resting place when an echoed cry of "Gallic Gun!" rang out across the land, and a pair of rich purple ki beams lanced towards Buu at high speed, courtesy of Kaen and Vegeta. The two blasts drew nearer to each other as they closed on their target, first swirling around each other when they came within a foot, then finally merging into one massive beam, just 5 seconds short of their target.

As the double Gallic Gun buried itself into the rubble that was once a majestic mountain, there was a brief flash, before a massive cross-shaped explosion rocked the planet, the three prongs of the cross blasting out the other side. There was even a fifth prong blasting upwards, and it was on this final beam that the burnt remains of Majin Buu were carried out of its rocky prison.

As the blast faded, there was a brief moment when Buu's body let gravity take hold, slowly plummeting back to the ground, before the creature suddenly regenerated to as-new again, glaring balefully at the four Saiyans. It had just enough time to realise there should have been a fifth Saiyan when Goku appeared behind him, two fingers still touching his forehead, and bicycle kicked the creature in what should have been it's spine.

Growling like an animal, Buu spun around to meet this new threat head on, but before so much as a single punch could be thrown, he was struck in the back again, this time by Gohan teleporting behind him using his own Instant Transmission. Father and son began taking turns to pummel Majin Buu, striking the monster on both sides with powerful blows as Buu struggled to fend off both attackers at once. Due to his inherit elasticity, however, the fight soon started turning against the two Saiyans.

Holding one arm out like a cradle, or a step, Pi coated said arm in a mass of green ki, building her strength. When the moment was just right, Kaen leapt up on her arm, and the girl launched him at Buu at speeds almost unheard of by anyone bar Gohan; the half-blood teen had always been the fastest of the group. Due to the fact he wasn't flying under his own power, however, Majin Buu didn't notice the approaching Saiyan until Goku and Gohan dove to either side.

Half a second before Kaen made contact, he flared into his fiery form, the massive gout of flame tearing through Buu's torso, and reducing everything between his shoulder blades and upper thigh into ash. As the severed legs fell back to the ground, Kaen reformed behind the monster, grinning when he saw that all that remained of the evil bubblegum golem was the head, and the barely-attached arms.

Roaring in defiance, Buu reformed the entirety of it's body with an audible pop, venting steam for all of a second before he was stopped abruptly by a Big Bang Attack wiping out everything from the stomach up, poetically destroying everything Kaen had failed to a minute ago. Buu, of course, regenerated once more, screaming his name to the heavens before launching himself at the closest Saiyan.

_-You have been dying since the day you were born-  
-You know it has all been planned-  
-The quartet of deliverance rides-_

"Wow, they're really tearing thing up down there," Dende commented, a look wavering between smile and smirk on his face. "I hate to say it guys, but I don't think your planet's gonna survive to talk about it."

Elder waved the comment away. "Oh pish posh, the Planet of the Kais is made of sturdier stuff than that. Besides, a planet is a small price to pay for destroying Majin Buu once and for all."

There were a few moments of silence, before Shin muttered distractedly, mostly to himself, "I don't understand it... How can they work that well together?"

"What do you mean boy?" Elder asked curiously.

Shin flushed, obviously not aware he'd spoken out loud, before replying, "I just... I just don't get how the Saiyans can be working together so effectively. I mean, I've seen them in action before, while we were in Babidi's ship, but that was like watching amateurs at work compared to what we're seeing now; they were fighting amongst themselves almost as much as against Babidi's henchmen."

"Well, to be honest Supreme Kai - err, Kais - that's not a fair judge of their skill," Dende replied quickly.

"What do you mean Dende?" Shin asked, before amending, "And just call me 'Shin', it's easier that way."

"Err, okay." 'Now, how do I explain this...' Dende mused to himself, before quickly realising all the Kais before him bar perhaps Kibito could read minds. Rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, especially at the amused grin on Elder's face, the young Namek stated, "Last time you saw them, they weren't exactly in their ideal working environment."

At the blank looks he received, Dende sighed, continuing, "Look, you'd just recruited them from a **friendly** competition, and told them that they were needed to save the world from the master of Yamu and Spopovich, two people who's powers were pathetically miniscule compared to theirs. That wouldn't exactly have inspired them to try too hard."

With a helpless shrug, he added, "Also, no offence, you and Kibito saying this Majin Buu was stronger than you also didn't help, because even the weakest of them was stronger than you." Kibito opened his mouth, probably to protest, when Dende cut him off with, "Gohan and Kaen knocked you and Shin on your ass, in their base form, with a single punch. With them being from a race where strength determines important, you _can't_ have expected them to take you seriously after **that**."

_-A sinner once a sinner twice-  
-No need for confession now-  
-Cause now you have got the fight of your life-_

Blinking a bit, Shin translated what he'd been told slowly. "So you're saying, they acted the way they did because they didn't take me seriously?"

"Basically, yeah," Dende shrugged again. "Compared to them, you were weak, and Babidi's henchmen were weak, the strongest being Dabura, a being even Kaen or Pi could've beaten if they'd been trying, so they didn't take the threat of Majin Buu very seriously." Smiling a little, the demigod added, "If it makes you feel any better, it's not you; they acted much the same way about Cell and the androids, and it took them losing to take things seriously. It's just that their loss against Buu was much more... dramatic."

Nodding slightly, the (former?) Supreme Kai replied, "Okay, I can understand that they're normally more professional in battle than their previous behaviour would dictate, but that still doesn't fully explain just how well they're working together now."

The Kai stared at the fight in the crystal ball for a moment, before adding, "Kaen and Pi working together efficiently I expect; they've been training together forever, and have a permanent psychic link. Goku and Gohan working together well I could accept, giving again that Goku trained his son. But to my understanding, none of them have really trained that closely with Vegeta; he doesn't strike me as the type to allow it. And Goku and Pi have _never_ trained together! They should not be able to work together this well; it's impossible!"

Dende opened his mouth to comment, before closing it again, a frown forming. "That's true..." He mused, "Even elite soldiers still need to communicate through radios or hand signals or something."

Elder smiled knowingly. "Who said they're not?"

_-The horsemen are drawing nearer-  
-On the leather steeds they ride-  
-They have come to take your life-_

A fact known the universe over was that the Saiyan race were warriors by blood, extremely militant, and prior to the Aisu uprising, without peer. They prided themselves on being the strongest, the best of the best the universe had to offer. A lesser-known fact was that the Saiyan race also prided themselves on their intellectual strength. Roughly a quarter of all Saiyans chose the path of the scholar over that of the soldier, and they were among the brightest minds in history. And it was this innate strength of mind that led to a third, rarely known fact; so rare, in fact, that less than one percent of the Saiyans themselves knew about it.

Every Saiyan, from the moment of their birth to the time they died, was latently psychic; a fact that should have been more obvious given the mating bond. Very few Saiyans, however, ever managed to tap into this potential save for said bond, as they tended to focus on strength of the body over looking into strengthening their minds. There was, however, one bloodline who were always taught about this ability, and how to harness it to its best effect: the Vegeta line.

As a newly regenerated Buu screamed towards Kaen's back, the prince's eyes flashed briefly, and the monster was intercepted by a green comet, Pi's ki-wreathed fist pulverising Buu's stomach and breaking the monster in half. His eyes flashed again, seconds before the severed torso was incinerated by two Kamehameha waves slamming into each other, as Kaen spun around and fired his Chaos Inferno, meeting Vegeta's own Final Flash in destroying the severed legs.

It became swiftly obvious why the Vegeta line were always taught to harness not only their own psychic potential, but also the potential of those around them; when it came time for the royals themselves to fight, the ability to direct their troupes both silently, and with flawless precision, was invaluable.

The pink smoke that Buu was reduced to reformed swiftly, and was instantly forced to dive out of the way of a Big Bang Attack. As an angered Buu charged the prince, Kaen held his hands before him, forming an orange ball of ki about the size of a melon, before leaning back and raising it over his head. The ball of ki inflated to the width of a bus in half a second, before he launched the attack with a cry of "Terra Destroyer!" The monster's eyes widened in shock at the size of the attack, halting his charge, and seconds later all that remained were the shoes.

Gohan balked as the explosion rocked the planet violently, yet Kaen didn't even seem winded, instead looking proud, and a tad wistful. "Where the hell did you get the energy for that?"

"The planet," he replied simply. "Don't have time to explain now, but if I do it too often, the planet dies." He grinned slightly. "So I try to make it count."

_-On through the dead of night-  
-With the four horsemen ride-  
-Or choose your fate and die-_

Further explanation was cut off when Buu returned once more, though it wasn't just one Buu that reformed, but five mini-Buus, each selecting a separate Saiyan to fight. Unprepared for the sudden change, the group of warriors were quickly forced onto the defensive, though this was easier for some than others.

Goku and Gohan both were easily strong enough to fend off the mini-Buu assaulting them; with his power divided amongst five equal clones, each mini-Buu was roughly as strong as the Gotenks-absorbed Super Buu. Kaen, too, was easily able to fight his assailant, but Pi was having a harder time, being slightly weaker than the creature; however, Kaen took it upon himself to assist his mate, and together the two were unstoppable.

Which left Vegeta to fend for himself.

Normally, Vegeta would probably have been able to beat back the Buu through the strength of his rage alone, despite being physically weaker, but with a fragment of his consciousness in the minds of the four other Saiyans to maintain the psychic link, Vegeta was very swiftly overwhelmed. One well-placed kick to the back later, there was a sickening crack, as Vegeta let out a howl of pain, his mind receding again as he fell to the ground.

"Vegeta!" The four cried out, quickly destroying their opponent before rushing to the prince's aid. Catching the falling prince as gently as possible, Gohan set him on the ground, remarking, "His back's broken.

"I'm on it," Pi replied, kneeling down and placing her hands over Vegeta's chest, her palms glowing green. After a few moments of this, however, she withdrew her hands again, adding softly, "It's not working. I can't heal him. Why isn't it working?"

"It's not working because he's already dead," Kaen replied just as softly. "Your healing technique works off restoring and manipulating the body's chi energy, which Vegeta doesn't have."

"Don't worry about me," the fallen prince forced through grit teeth, "You must destroy Majin Buu, before he kills us all."

"But how do we do that?" Goku asked almost helplessly. "He keeps getting stronger by the minute."

Kaen closed his eyes, taking a deep, calming breath, before opening them again. "We work together."

_-Time-  
-Has taken its toll on you-  
-The lines that crack your face-_

His eyes flashing red briefly, Gohan nodded once, crouching down and clenching his fists. With a roar of "Kaioken!" Gohan's aura exploded into a deep crimson, moments before he vanished from sight. Within half a heartbeat, violent shock waves tore through the air, as countless unseen blows rocked Buu's body. Even to Goku and Kaen's Super Saiyan Three enhanced eyes, the teen appeared as nothing more than a faint red blur.

"Hellzone Grenade!" Within five seconds, the sky was filled with stationary energy blasts, tightly packed enough and high enough in volume to block out the sun for a half-mile radius. Phasing back in on the ground, in the exact same spot he'd recently vacated. Smirking as the crimson aura gutted out, Gohan enjoyed the look of panic on the surrounded Buu's face a little more than he possibly should, before closing his fist, and the sky lit up with fire as the blasts converged.

_-Famine-  
-Your body it has torn through-  
-Withered in every place-_

Before the light could begin to fade, Goku pressed two fingers to his forehead, before teleporting high above the planet. Cupping his hands by his side, the newly revived Saiyan began charging his trademark technique, blue energy gathering between his hands as he chanted slowly, "Kaaaaa... Meeeee... Haaaaa... Meeeee..."

Majin Buu, however, was having nothing of it. Screaming a warcry, the monster erupted from the still smouldering explosion, smoke trailing off the parts of his putty flesh still burning. Charging ki in both hands, the evil golem fully intended to blow Goku's head clear off his body.

A heartbeat before Buu's fists could impact Goku's body, the Saiyan vanished. Reappearing behind Buu, Goku threw one hand out, the amassed ki held within in, while the other hand still held two fingers to his forehead. "HA!" A short burst of blue ki blasted from the ball, before Goku vanished again. Reappearing on Buu's left side, he released another pulse of energy before disappearing again, continuing this trend until the sky was once again awash with ki, though blue now instead of yellow."

_-Pestilence-  
-For what you have had to endure-  
-And what you have put others through-_

Closing her eyes, Pi sank down on to one knee planting her opposite hand on the grassy plain before her. Gathering strength from the planet itself, she shouted, "Titan's Dirge!" before her body was flooded with earthen ki, to the point where she began glowing green; an astute observer might've noticed similar effects to Kaen's Overheat technique. Fuelled by the rage of the planet, that this monster might tread its hallowed soil, Pi rocketed towards Buu, hammering him again and again with earth-shaking blows.

She leapt up her assault for just long enough to be sure that everyone else had cleared enough area around her, before preparing her latest devastating technique. Drawing in vast amounts of air, she subconsciously coated her eardrums with a shield of ki, to protect herself from the effects of her own attack; at the back of her mind, she hoped the others had done the same. Opening her mouth, Pi whispered the name of her technique, Cry of the Ancients, before a piercing wail erupted from her throat.

An earthquake occurs when tectonic plates on a planet's surface collide and grind against each other. Now imagine that happening to every single molecule in your body; painful, no? Buu didn't have to imagine, as he was rocked, twisted and warped by the attack, an attack that destabilised him completely; it was only through sheer, evil will that he hadn't been reduced to a puddle of pink goo by now. Had she used this technique so much as ten minutes ago, before Buu's power had risen, it might have at the very least bought them a healthy chunk of time.

The reason she didn't? It would also do the same thing to anything in the cone of effect. So it was fortunate that Buu was in the air above her.

_-Death-  
-Deliverance for you for sure-  
-There is nothing you can do-_

Clenching his fists, Kaen's body began pulsing a rich orange, as he activated one of the techniques he'd recently... borrowed, from Pi's mind, when the two had been merged as one. "Haste!" A little complex in nature, yet still the simplest of the time tricks Pi had thought of, it could basically be explained as speeding up his personal time. The end result was similar to a speed boost, though the increase would be far beyond what his body was used to. In other words, use it too long, and bad things happen.

Wasting no time, Kaen blurred forward, slamming his fists and feet into Buu's partially liquid form with what could only be described as urgent brutality. Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself harder, faster, until his limbs became a blur even to himself, and by the time even he registered striking Buu, he'd already done so five more times. But he was tiring fast.

By the time his strikes were up past the ten hits per heartbeat rate, he knew it was time to end it fast. With one final, decisive strike, Kaen charged the largest ki blast he could in the short time he had available, before slamming the ki bomb inside Buu's already vastly weakened chest. The net result? Buu's battered body exploded violently, scattering bits of Buu across the plains.

_-So gather round young warriors now-  
-And saddle up your steeds-  
-Killing scores with demon swords-_

Appearing back with the others, Kaen dropped to his knees, gasping in precious oxygen for a few minutes before remarking, "Wow, I shouldn't have done that..." The 'that' in question could have been one of two separate things: trying to use his meagre telepathic skills to pick up the connection Vegeta had abruptly broken, and speeding up his personal time to beat the shit out of Buu. While the first had only met with marginal success, with Kaen able to implant a single instruction, it was the second he regretted most, despite its overwhelming success.

Passing her mate some of her own energy to help recharge him faster, Pi merely quirked an eyebrow, asking, "Then why did you?"

He grinned tiredly. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

Any retort she might have given was cut off as the very planet began to shake, moments before an ear-splitting shriek of "BUUUUUUU!" echoed across the land

"Oh fuck me sideways..." The other three stared incredulously at the speaker for a moment; Gohan _never_ swore! But then, this was a special occasion... "Well," the teen continued, "Looks like Plan 'A' is a bust."

"I was afraid it would be," Kaen grimaced, glancing at his mate before asking, "Code Boom?"

She nodded once. "Code Boom." Closing their eyes, the three younger Saiyans sent out the signal.

_-Now is the death of doers of wrong-  
-Swing the judgment hammer down-  
-Safely inside armour blood guts and sweat-_

"'Code Boom'?" Shin parroted curiously, turning towards the late Earth's guardian. "What's Code Boom?"

Dende blinked for a second, before realising that the Kai was asking him directly, instead of just asking the room. "Why're you looking at me?"

Shin shrugged. "You do seem to know the most here about Saiyans, this group especially."

Shrugging helplessly back, the minor God replied, "Sorry. I'm just as in the dark here as you are."

"Hmm..." Elder mused, one hand resting on his chin. "It would appear those younglings put a bit more planning in this than we first thought." Turning to Dende, the ancient Kai asked, "Do they have any allies left that might be able to assist in a 'Code Boom'-type plan?"

"Kellre and Avarrdo," Dende answered immediately, "Though I doubt they'd be able to get such a plan to Otherworld." Shrugging again, he added, "Everyone else I can think of would either be on the ship, which they can't bring here, or on Earth, which was destroyed, and without the Dragon Balls..." He trailed off suddenly as a thought occurred to him, muttering, "No way, they wouldn't..."

"Wouldn't what?" Shin asked.

Dende just grinned, his eyes lighting up in hope. "Trust me Supreme Kais, if I'm right, this fight is only just getting started."

_-The horsemen are drawing nearer-  
-On the leather steeds they ride-  
-They have come to take your life-_

"So, it's time then?" A gruff, male voice commented slowly.

"It would seem so," a soothing, female voice replied, sounding a touch helpless. "Do you remember the plan?"

The male snorted slightly, as if amused, or perhaps offended, that she thought he might not. "Of course I do," he answered regardless.

She grinned slightly, brushing her hair behind her with one hand as she gestured with the other. "Well then, let's begin."

He snorted slightly again, this time clearly in amusement, as he cast his gaze on the crowd assembled around them. "This makes twice in one year," he commented dryly, "I'm really getting soft."

She giggled slightly. "Nothing wrong with that. At least now, you're even."

Nodding slightly, he took three steps closer, approaching the seven pulsing crystal balls, each the size of a large melon. Bearing a striking resemblance to Piccolo, though more aged, the Namek known as Flute held his hands out to the balls before him, shouting, _"Ancient Dragon! By your name I summon you forth: Porunga!"_

_-On through the dead of night-  
-With the four horsemen ride-  
-Or choose your fate and die-_

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Author's notes:

This chapter should so have been finished a week ago, if not two. However, work plus World of Warcraft plus Saint's Row 2 equals not a lot of time to actualy write. Annoyingly, unless I burn up all my holiday time, or get the last 8 chapters written really quickly, I won't be finished this year like I wanted. Oh well...


	53. E13: Ten Thousand Fists

--- Disturbance, Book 3: Endurance ---

Chapter E13 - Ten Thousand Fists

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-Survivor!-_

_"You have awakened me from my slumber. What is your first wish?"_

Staring up at the giant green dragon known as Porunga, Flute called out the first wish, _"I wish for the planet Earth, and surrounding regions damaged or destroyed by Majin Buu, to be restored as it was at the end of the World Martial Arts tournament!"_ Grinning a little, he added quickly, _"With a couple of exceptions..."_

_-Survivor!-_

"And so it begins. Everything is going according to the scenario."

Kellre rolled his eyes at his old friend, a slight grin on his face despite himself; the man had been watching far too much Earth TV with the kids while Kaen and Pi were away. "Looks like the warm-up's finished," he commented, turning to the group behind him and asking, "Are you ready?"

The human girl nodded immediately. "Don't worry. I know my part to play in this."

_-One more goddamn day when I know what I want-  
-And my want will be considered tonight, considered tonight-_

"Uh, guys?" Goku asked slowly, "Not to sound like an idiot or anything, but what's 'Code Boom'?"

Opening his eyes again, satisfied that the signal had gotten through, Kaen replied, "Pi, take Goku and begin phase one; inform him what his part is in this as you go. Gohan, you're with me." With no more words said, the pair blasted off towards the newly regenerated Majin Buu, intercepting him about half a mile away.

Still confused, Goku opened his mouth to repeat his previous question, but Pi just held a hand up, silencing him, before using her other hand to point to a nearby hill. "There. We'll begin preparations on that hill. There are no trees nearby, and more than enough space."

Almost ready to tear his hair out, Goku asked again, "Prepare for what?"

Pi just smiled. "The Spirit Bomb to end all Spirit Bombs."

_-Just another day when all that I want-  
-Will mark me as a sinner tonight, I'm a sinner tonight, yeah-_

Goku gaped slightly. "You want me to use the Spirit Bomb?" Blinking again, he added, "You know how to use the Spirit Bomb?"

She smiled wider. "Yes, and no, respectively. I can't use the Spirit Bomb, but if it works any way like Gohan believes it does, I can use an attack nearly identical." Forestalling Goku's question of 'why', she continued, "As I'm sure you know Goku, the only thing that can completely defeat evil is good, and in our entire arsenal of techniques, the strongest pure good attack we have is either your Spirit Bomb, or my Gaia Bomb. So we're going to combine them."

Blinking once, Goku replied, "Okay... But how are we going to do this? I mean, the Spirit Bomb requires ki from others. Sure, I can get ki from the plants and water and things, but that takes forever, even on a planet that likes me like Earth. On an unfamiliar world, it'll take longer than I think we've got."

Pi just grinned wolfishly. "Which is exactly why the Nameks are, right this second, restoring Earth and its people."

_-People can no longer cover their eyes-  
-If this disturbs you then walk away-_

"YES!" Dende cheered, leaping to his feet and pumping a fist in the air. "I was right!"

Blinking owlishly, Shin had never felt more out of the loop than he did right then. 'Just how much do I not know?' "Uh, excuse my ignorance, but, how are the Nameks going to restore Earth?"

Giving him a tired look, Dende remarked dryly, "Wow, you really don't know _anything_ about our corner of the universe do you?" The former Supreme Kai had the good graces to look embarrassed. "They'd be using the dragon bal-"

"No!" Elder shouted suddenly, bolting to his feet. "The dragon balls must NOT be used!"

Dende scowled at him. "When you've got a better idea, I'd love to hear it, but until then, sit down and shut up. It's not your era any more Elder. Times have changed."

_-You will remember the night you were struck by the sight of-  
-Ten thousand fists in the air-_

Shin and Kibito gaped at Dende, surprised at the young Namek's audacity. Before they could say anything, Elder marched up to the demi-god, getting right up into his face and shouting, "You young punk! You have no idea what you're doing!"

Dende's scowl deepened, before he pushed the elder kai to arms' distance away. "I know _exactly_ what I'm doing. As one of the few remaining members of the Dragon Clan, let alone one of the fewer to actually have a working set of dragon balls, I know exactly how they work. I know that every time a wish is made to the dragon, a small amount of evil builds up in them, an evil that takes a hundred years to disperse, and that, if not allowed to disperse, will eventually reach critical mass. But We Have No Choice!"

"There is always a choice!" Elder shouted back. "Through your actions a terrible evil will be released upon the universe."

"There is already a terrible evil released, thanks to _your_ ilk." Aiming one hand in Shin's direction, he continued, "I, at least, have a put a plan in preparation for when that evil is released. During times of peace, like the past seven years, I have developed a way to slowly release that evil in a manageable form. But when it reaches critical mass, and I know it will eventually, I will be prepared."

That, it seemed, took the winds out of Elder's sails. Spluttering indignantly, the wrinkled kai eventually remarked, "I want it known this plan goes forth against my advice."

"Duly noted," Dende replied coldly. "Now sit down and shut the hell up." As the other four kais (including Kibito) gaped at him, Dende couldn't help but feel a certain sense of satisfaction in taking a stand. 'It feels good to be in control,' the Namek thought idly to himself, 'Now, I just have to hope they succeed. With no more dragon balls after this, there's no plan C.'

_-Power un-restrained dead on the mark-  
-Is what we will deliver tonight, deliver tonight-_

Widening her stance, Pi raised her arms above her head, closing her eyes as she began preparations. 'Spirits of earth, sky and sea, souls of Mother Nature, avatars of the planet, hear my plea. A great evil has come to befoul this majestic planet. I ask your help to destroy him. Please, lend me your power!'

At first, nothing seemed to happen. Then, slowly at first, tiny pinpricks of light began drifting away from the trees, the grass, the lakes, even the air itself. They began amassing upon each other, above Pi's outstretched hands, until a brilliant blue ball of energy began to take shape. With the crackle of energy, the amassing energy snapped into shape, a perfect blue sphere, containing within it a slightly smaller cyan sphere.

'That's it! Lend me all your strength! Together, we can destroy this creature of darkness forever!' The energy kept coming, the ki ball swelling, growing like a balloon. Within seconds, it had grown from the size of a basketball, to the size of a small car, and it didn't appear to be slowing down any time soon.

_'Kaen, phase one is well under way. At it's current rate of growth, I estimate... five minutes until it's as complete as it's gonna get.'_

Ducking under a wayward punch from the homicidal bubblegum monster, before planting a ki blast in its chest, Kaen felt a smile come to his face. _'Excellent. Let's just hope Flute doesn't take too long to finish up his task.'_

_-Pleasure fused with pain this triumph of the soul-  
-Will make you shiver tonight, will make you shiver tonight, yeah-_

There was a brief, intense flash of light, before the ruined, vacant space outside the view port once more contained the planet known as Earth. A smile on his face, Avarrdo announced, "Stage one of planet restoration complete." As the people in the bridge could all see that, he didn't really need to say anything, but it was for the benefit of the Saiyans in the hold more than anything.

Pressing a few buttons on his console, Kellre continued, "Beginning scan for progress of stage two." The first couple of sweeps found no results, the planet below them dead and lifeless, before one tense minute later, clusters of life returned. There was no discernable order to which people were being revived, though that was because the order matched how they died, which was, in turn, random.

The fact remained, however, that the people of Earth were returning.

Grinning, Kellre remarked, "Taking us out of orbit. Estimated time to arrival in New Vegeta: three minutes." Turning to the human girl behind him, he added, "Videl, you better hop up onto the transporter. Once we pass over Satan City, I'm gonna drop you off."

She nodded, walking to her assigned position. "Yeah, I know. You've overloaded the generators by both drawing the city inside the fourth dimensional hold _and_ charging the Hyperspace Cannon so you can't afford to stop to let me out." Before anyone could remark on the girl's impressive grasp of the situation, she paused and stared wide-eyed at the screen, adding, "Uh... Was that scar _always_ there? Coz I don't remember it..."

Sure enough, on the screen before them, was the massive scar-like canyon carved by Kaen's final attack against Majin Buu. A smirk tugging at his features, Avarrdo commented, "Of course. The boy used Balefire in that attack of his, so as far as the universe is concerned, that scar existed prior to the end of the tournament."

Mind reeling at the power her... friend? wielded, Videl took her spot on the teleporter, sending out a silent prayer that this plan would work, and Gohan would comeback to her.

_-People can no longer cover their eyes-  
-If this disturbs you then walk away-_

Dodging away from Buu's latest assault, Kaen fell back as Gohan took his place, taking a moment to catch his breath. The two had been trading off for a while now, lest one of them falter; to fall now would mean the end of everything.

Hearing an insistent beep in his left ear, Kaen reached up to press the button on the device attached to the side of his head, and a second later, a screen slid out, covering his left eye. A modified version of Kaen's own scouter design, which was, in turn, based on the Saiyan-designed scouter the Frieza Empire used for countless years, the device allowed him to view combat stats for the battle at hand; all fronts, even those not in this dimension.

What he saw made him smile.

Pressing the button to transmit audio, Kaen remarked, "Terra is reformed, and her people returning to her. Mothership coming in for a landing. Phase two is go." The words themselves meant almost nothing, chosen to confuse Buu should he be listening in, but for the two others on the planet wearing scouters, it meant everything.

Turning to the Saiyan beside her, and forced to shout over the roar of ki, Pi stated, "It's time to get started Goku. Make sure you've got plenty of room, and prepare the Spirit Bomb. We'll need everyone's energy if this is to succeed."

With a nod, Goku jumped at least thirty feet to one side, planting his legs and raising his arms like she herself had done, and began preparing his ultimate technique. _'People of Earth, please, share your energy with me! If Majin is to be destroyed, we're all going to need to work together!'_

_-You will remember the night you were struck by the sight of-  
-Ten thousand fists in the air-_

Goku was a little surprised when the first wave of donated energy arrived so quickly, until he noticed just how strong this energy was; the energy of the six-hundred-odd thousand Saiyans who called the planet Earth home. The Spirit Bomb instantly snapped into being the size of a small car, but with only a few humans donating their own energy, those rare few who knew Goku, that's where it stayed.

Unfortunately, the sudden influx of energy alerted the homicidal monster to their plan to kill him. Stunned enough to stop his assault against Gohan, Buu muttered quietly, "Pretty lights..." All too soon, however, the homicidal rage returned, the creature shouting, "I HATE PRETTY LIGHTS!" before lobbing an energy blast at Gohan. Easily swatting the pink ki ball aside, Gohan wasn't prepared for the follow-up extendo-head-tentacle that wrapped around his neck.

With a sharp tug, Majin Buu wrenched Gohan along, swinging him around like a club to strike the rapidly approaching Kaen, before tossing the two aside like trash and tearing towards the defenceless Goku and Pi. Gritting her teeth, Pi noticed him aiming right for her, and prepared herself to throw the Gaia Bomb skyward, lest the energy be wasted should Buu tackle her. She needn't have bothered, however, as before Buu could travel more than twenty feet, he was intercepted and driven into the ground by a raging purple ki beam.

A smirk on his face, Super Saiyan Two Vegeta lowered his hands, still smoking slightly from the attack. "Ha! You didn't forget about me did you Buu?"

"Vegeta!" Goku cried out ecstatically, a massive grin splitting his features.

A brilliant smile lit up Pi's face too, though it contained a touch of smirk as she remarked, "I guess you're one of the good guys now huh?" Indicating his lack of halo with a nudge of her head, she added, "We only wished back the non-evil people."

A sour look crossed the prince's face for a moment, before being replaced by his trademark smirk. "Just because I'm not evil doesn't mean I'm good." Turning back to the fight, he added, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a little revenge to serve up."

As she watched Vegeta throw himself back into the fight with Majin Buu, she couldn't help but think 'Thank you Vegeta. With your help, we might just win this thing.'

_-We are the ones that will open your mind-  
-Leave the weak and the haunted behind-_

Some people would say that the human race, as a whole, were easily excitable, and prone to panic at the first sign of trouble. Problem was, those people were right, for the most part. Currently, the human race had transcended to a new, formerly unknown level of panic, breaking the level set by the Cell incident seven years ago, brought on by a few undeniable facts:  
1. Super-powered beings were real, and really capable of the mass destruction they claimed they could do  
2. Said super-powered being had killed everyone on Earth  
3. Everyone on Earth, bar a select group deemed too evil to be redeemed, was now alive again.

The people were scared, and when they're scared, people will always do the predictable thing: turn to their hero for help. The only problem was, Hercule Satan had no help to give. To that end, the giant space ship that sailed through the air above Satan City was both a blessing and a curse. A curse, because it ramped up the mob's panic level again, forcing him to work harder to calm them down. A blessing, because as the ship passed overhead, there was a flash of light, heralding his daughter.

Had he not seen her flying during the world tournament, he would've been extremely concerned right about now. With the knowledge that she was perfectly safe, however, Hercule couldn't have been happier, and his smile could've powered Satan City for a week. His daughter was safe, and all was right with the world. "Videl! You're okay!"

_-We are the ones that will open your mind-  
-Leave the weak and the haunted behind-_

Letting herself be drawn into the big man's hug as she landed, Videl would normally have loved the fatherly attention, but for the moment, she had a job to do. After a period just long enough to let her father know she, too, was happy to see he was alright, but she didn't have time, she pulled back, replying, "Hey daddy, I love you too. Now, I need you to do something for me."

Still grinning, the former champ remarked, "Anything for my little girl."

Caught between a grin and a grimace, Videl couldn't help thinking to herself, 'You're gonna regret that blank cheque...' "I need you to call an emergency press conference, right now on every channel. There's a message that needs to go out, and we need to reach everyone on Earth at once."

Blinking, suddenly nervous, Hercule asked, "What message?" Watching his daughter reach into her back pocket and produce a folded piece of paper, he unfolded it carefully, and began reading what was on it. Moments later, he cried out with as much force as he could without drawing the crowd's attention, "I can't read that!"

Scowling slightly, Videl shot back, "Either you read that and ask for the people's help, or I'll tell them the truth about the Cell games, and then ask for their help. Either way, I am getting Gohan and the others the help they need." At the horrified look on his face, hers softened slightly, before she added, "I love you dad, I really do, but there's bigger things at stake here than your reputation; as is, you're lucky they didn't oust you completely. But we need this message to go out, and you're the only one they'll truly listen to. The fate of the universe itself may rest on whether you're willing to take this blow to your ego or not."

_-We are the ones that will open your mind-  
-Leave the weak and the haunted behind-_

Videl had to admit, as she watched the press conference almost build itself around her, when her father put his mind and his influence to something, it got done _fast_. In the space of two minutes he had managed to get agreements from every station to broadcast the footage from the one remaining camera, and had the stage readied for his speech. She could tell he was extremely nervous about what she all-but-blackmailed him into reading, but quite frankly, Videl thought he was getting off lightly, considering he'd been lying to the whole world for seven years.

Standing to one side as her father approached the podium, Videl crossed her fingers, praying everything would work as planned. She watched her father set the script on the lectern and take a deep breath, waiting for the signal that he camera was rolling, before beginning his speech. "People of the Earth, it is I, Hercule Satan, former Number One Under Heaven Champion, and the man who defeated the terror known as Cell. For many years now, I have lead you to believe I defeated Cell alone, but this is not the whole truth."

Taking another deep breath, he continued, "I had help from a select group of people, as you may remember from the footage. When the fight was over, I wrote them out, claiming sole responsibility for the tyrant's defeat. Because they wanted me to." He paused, letting that comment sink in to the gasp of many a listener, before continuing, "While the method I chose to do so may have been a bit arrogant, they wanted me to overshadow them, because they didn't want the fame, the money, the prestige, or anything else that came of it. All they wanted was to save the world, and fade into the background. They didn't want you to know they existed."

Hercule made another strategic pause, taking a moment to judge the crowd's reaction; so far, quite positive. "They are a handful of people from a race known as Saiyans, an extra-terrestrial race of warriors who sought refuge on this planet, and were granted it. They have lived amongst us in secret for ten years, because, while stronger than the average man, they are afraid of being persecuted. And I don't blame them; the human race never has been very tolerant," he ended wryly; that statement applied to him as well, and he knew it.

_-We are the ones that will open your mind-  
-Leave the weak and the haunted behind-_

Obviously, many people were shocked by the fact that not only were aliens real, they had been living on this planet in secret for TEN years! It was only the aura of calm acceptance that Hercule seemed to radiate, the assurance that everything was fine, that prevented the panic from coming. If Hercule Satan was good at nothing else, he could win over a crowd, and make them believe whatever he wanted them to believe.

Taking a quick sip from the glass of water provided, Hercule continued, "Now, however, a new threat looms. One great enough to make Cell seem like an inconvenience. One whose effect has already been felt by almost everyone. One who has forced these Saiyans out of hiding, to fight for us once more. The terror known as Majin Buu." Many a cry of fear went up at that name, but Hercule pressed on. "As many of you are no doubt aware, Majin Buu, in the space of less than an hour, managed to wipe out the entire human race without breaking a sweat. And yet here we stand now, thanks to their help. It's time we return the favour."

Unbeknownst to Hercule, the live feed around the world, displaying the former champ, were simultaneously hacked by a super advanced spacecraft, so the genius occupants could splice in footage of the battle waging even now on the Supreme Kai's planet; another of the modifications to Kaen's scouter design was to add a camera, so home base could observe and correct behaviour, among other things. Continuing unabated, Hercule stated, "Even as I speak, they are waging war against this horrible creature, a creature even I, with all my strength, could never hope to defeat. They have been trained their entire life for moments like this, but even they can't do it alone."

Staring into the camera, almost _daring_ people to look away, he added with a note of finality, "They need your help. Every last one of you." The war camera panned around to show Goku charging the Spirit Bomb. "They need our energy if they hope to destroy Buu. If they fail, Majin Buu will take this second chance they have granted to us away once more. I for one am not going to let that happen." The big man raised one hand to the air, and with his consent given, a streak of blue light broke out of his body and flew skyward. Looking worn out from donating that much energy, but still standing firm, he finished, "I'm doing my part. Are you?"

_-People can no longer cover their eyes-  
-If this disturbs you then walk away-_

When the Spirit Bomb had continued to remain stagnant, the same size it had grown to from the donated Saiyan energy, Goku had begun to despair just a little, that this would be the best they could do. Something he knew was not enough. When Pi had declared her attack complete, and carefully, oh so carefully, merged her attack with his, causing it to grow to just under the size of the Spirit Bomb he'd hit Frieza with, he'd felt a small glimmer of hope, but knew the attack still wasn't strong enough.

When Pi had informed him, shortly before running off to rejoin the fight, that they had a plan for getting the human's co-operation involving Videl and her father, the glimmer of hope had expanded into a bright ray of hope, which had, in turn, exploded into a massive beacon of hope when he felt the human energy start coming in. What he didn't expect, however, was the sheer number of people willing to help.

And the results were staggering.

_-You will remember the night you were struck by the sight of-  
-Ten thousand fists in the air-_

The Spirit Bomb began growing exponentially, rapidly increasing in size, and were it not for the wide open space Pi had chosen for him to begin preparing the attack, no doubt it would have sheered through half a forest of trees. The size was so great, and the energy contained within so immense, that the massive ball of energy was starting to have it's own gravitational field; minor, to be sure, but all of the small, loose particles of assorted rubble began lifting up and floating towards the ball.

And it was still growing.

_'Kakarott!'_ He almost jumped in fright at the sound of Vegeta's voice in his head. _'How much longer until the attack is complete.'_

Closing his eyes, Goku focused his thoughts on the massive sink of ki above him, and the still-incoming flow of donations. _'Giving time for the energy to stop coming in, plus the time it needs to settle, I'd say... Five minutes if we're lucky, ten if we're not.'_ He could almost feel the prince's scowl before the link was cut.

_-Ten thousand fists in the air-_

Staring at the growling, twitching mass of bubblegum and rage that was Majin Buu, Vegeta commented quietly, "Kakarott says he'll need five to ten minutes."

Groaning in exhaustion, the golden haired teen beside him remarked, "Ten minutes? At the rate we're going, we'll be lucky to last two."

"Well then," the dark haired teen on the prince's other side quipped, "It's past time we started making our own luck then isn't it?"

With a grin, Pi replied from her spot beside Kaen, "Come on boys, let's show this monster what he's got awaiting him on the other side. Let's give him Hell!"

With a roar, the fight was joined once more.

_-Ten thousand fists in the air-_

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Author's notes:

I _so_ never meant for this chapter to take so long to get done. Work's been a bit of a bitch lately. However, I do have the next week off, so who knows? I'm working on a new story, non-DBZ this time, that I'll hopefully get the first chapter done for by New Years.

In the mean time, I leave you with my Christmas present to you, my readers (or Gift Day present for those who don't celebrate Christmas, or are otherwise offended by the term). Code Boom is well underway, but the question remains, will they have enough time to complete it? We'll just have to wait and see.


	54. E14: Dare

--- Disturbance, Book 3: Endurance ---

Chapter E14 - Dare

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-Sometimes when your hopes have all been shattered, and there's nowhere to turn-  
-You wonder how you keep going-_

Kaen ducked and wove between Buu's extended limbs, using a ki blade to slice one arm off at the wrist, only to dodge that same limb as it tried to wrap around his torso. Using a wave of fire to annihilate the rogue limb, he was caught unaware by the second arm, which slammed into him with almost enough force to break his jaw. Floating backwards as he watched Buu take a Gallic Gun to the face, Kaen had to admit the fight wasn't going well.

He was tiring. He'd already dropped back to the second level, having to clamp down hard on his control as he was almost dropped further, but it still wasn't enough. As he started to fall back, Gohan flew past him, laying a hand briefly on his shoulder and remarking, "Tag, I'm it," before charging towards Buu to continue the fight.

Kaen floated back to a safe distance, smiling tiredly at Pi, who floated nearby. They'd been doing this for what felt like forever, but in reality was probably closer to three minutes. Vegeta and whoever was the most rested would fight Buu, while the other two would recuperate and gather their strength. Going into this fight, Vegeta was the only one at anything near full strength, and the prince had sworn outright that he would not fall back until there was no other option but failure; his pride would keep him in the fight long after a more sensible man would have retreated.

Pi had used a lot of her own energy in getting the Gaia Bomb ready as soon as possible, and quite a bit more in merging her attack into Goku's, and even her normally overflowing reserves of energy were close to drained; as it was, she was only barely hanging on to the second level of Super Saiyan through sheer force of will. Kaen and Gohan had expended a great amount of their own energy keeping Buu distracted while Pi and Goku prepared their attacks, though Gohan fared better of the two; Kaen had, after all, used a lot of energy first thrice ascending, then burned through a lot more holding that level of Super Saiyan, whereas Gohan's form required almost no upkeep at all.

All in all, things were looking bleak. If luck was on their side, which was looking more and more unlikely, they'd have to hold Buu off for a further two minutes. If not, seven. And the way things were looking currently, they'd fall after five.

_-Think of all the things that really mattered, and the chances you've earned-  
-The fire in your heart is growing-_

After narrowly avoiding a potentially deadly blast, Gohan dove back, and Pi leapt forward, her arms and legs coated in pulsing green ki as she engaged Buu in close quarters combat; with her energy reserves as low as they were, Pi couldn't afford to waste energy using ki blasts, so she used what energy she had as efficiently as possible. Vegeta, however, continued to fling energy attacks around like it was going out of fashion, but then, the prince was newly revived, stronger than before, and eager to test the limits of his new strength.

'She's not ready,' Kaen mused to himself. He could see she was still sluggish; she hadn't managed to regain enough energy to continue the fight yet. _'Pull back Pi. You're dangerously low on energy.'_

_'No! I can do this!'_ The girl replied back stubbornly, her ki-coated leg lancing through Buu's body, hip to shoulder. Howling in pain, Buu belched out a blast of pink ki, and Pi dove out of the way, barely avoiding having her tail blasted off, and singing the tips of her hair. To herself, Pi had to admit that she wouldn't last much longer. However, she knew that neither Gohan nor Kaen was rested enough to take her place, and if they let Vegeta hold off Buu alone, their chances of winning dropped dramatically. As always, Pi was ready to give her life if it meant the survival of her mate, and her family.

Buu twisted around one of Vegeta's blasts, sending an extended kick the prince's way, and, before Pi could recover from his earlier attack, Buu lashed out with his head tentacle, the tip sharpened to a point as it lashed across her back. Pi hissed in pain, refusing to give Buu the satisfaction of a scream, as she attempted to retreat from the fight. Buu, however, wasn't going to give her that chance, cupping his hands to one side in a perverse parody of Goku's Kamehameha Wave, and unleashing a massive wave of pink ki with a scream of rage.

"Pi!" Kaen exclaimed, bursting forth with all the speed he could muster, flaring back into Super Saiyan Three for the extra boost. Mere seconds before the deadly blast could hit Pi, Kaen dove in front of her, spinning so as to bear the brunt of it with his back, the energy obliterating the top half of his gi, and much of his back with it, as the beam split around him, diverted both over and below Pi's position.

"Kaen!" Pi cried out, a single, silent tear slipping down her face.

Kaen just smiled, in the brief seconds before gravity took over, holding his hand out to his mate. With but a thought, Kaen sent all available energy he had into the palm of his hand, his hair shrinking and fading to black as he formed a ball of ki, coloured the purest gold, and threw it at his mate, whispering, "Use it well."

Pi felt her energy reserves soar as Kaen's energy washed over her, her royal green aura gaining a second, red inner aura, and the wound on her back sealing as her Saiyan regenerative abilities kicked into high gear. None of that mattered to Pi though. She just kept her eyes focused on Buu, the rage of an entire fallen race burning in her eyes, her heart, and her soul, as she swore with every fibre of her being to make Buu pay.

As a result, she failed to see that Kaen's body didn't hit the ground. It passed through it as though the ground were not even there.

_-You can fly, if you try leaving the past behind-  
-Heaven only knows what you might find-_

Pi gathered her energy, her new duel aura flaring as she prepared to charge into battle in vengeance of her fallen mate; she needn't have bothered. Before she could take so much as one step (metaphorically) a cry of "YEEE-HAAA!" echoed across the planet, before a massive gout of flame blasted out of the surface of the planet itself, the intense pyre torching all of Buu bar the head, before gathering up in the sky and assuming the shape of a man. One that quickly solidified and gutted out to reveal Kaen in full Super Saiyan Three glory, a massive grin on his face as he added, "I had totally forgotten about that move."

Pi was before him so fast it was like she teleported, and given her ability to manipulate time subtly that wasn't entirely out of the question. Grabbing him by the throat with one hand, the remains of his gi shirt already discarded, she backhanded him in the face with all the force she could muster, shouting angrily, "You jerk! You had me all worried over you for nothing!"

His head snapped to one side from the blow, and he knew if she'd been able to hit him any harder, she would've dislocated his jaw. Turning back to her, he replied, "First: Ow. Good to see you too. Second, in my defence, I didn't realise I could actually use that technique until maybe half a second before I hit the ground. Third-" He reached up and gently grasped the back of her head, dragging her down and kissing her for all he was worth. "-I'm sorry. It's just... You've already died on me twice, protecting me. It was past time I protected you."

The giddy girl inside fought with the warrior woman, and the two reached something of a stalemate, as Pi tried to find a response to that. Finally, she settled on, "We'll talk more about this later, when we're not fighting for the safety of the universe as we know it."

"Agreed." Whistling sharply, Kaen called out, "Hey, Vegeta. Take a breather. Pi and I will take over from here."

Vegeta's head snapped in his direction, though he kept his senses on Buu, lest the monster try anything as he rapidly regenerated. "Now listen here boy, I am more than capable of-"

"I'm at full power Vegeta," Kaen cut him off, "And Pi's at maybe two-thirds. Take a rest, you've earned it."

With a sharp nod of his head, Vegeta floated back, until he was at the same range as Gohan. The youngest Saiyan, however, was more curious as to how, exactly, Kaen had been recharged to full power in the few seconds since he'd fallen, staring up baffled and asking, "But, how-"

"No time to explain Gohan," Kaen replied, a smirk on his face. "I'll tell you after we win."

_-Dare - dare to believe you can survive-  
-You hold the future in your hand-_

The chibi bundle of rage that was Majin Buu let out a shriek of power, venting steam and causing his power level to begin shooting upwards. Before he could pull roo much strength from his vast, and possibly limitless, reserves, Pi charged towards him, rapidly flinging a quick series of blasts at Buu; however, instead of exploding, she aimed the blasts carefully to plug up the holes in his arms, head, and, with some creative aiming, even his back. They weren't ordinary blasts, of course, but were specially designed not to explode; ki rocks, if you will. The result: Majin Buu began swelling up like a balloon.

A grin came to her face at the panicked look on Buu's face, as his body continued to stretch, though the rate of growth was slowing as Buu forced himself to stop drawing more energy. Despite that, however, he still seemed unable to actually vent the built-up steam, turning him into the universes most irate hot-air balloon, sans basket. "That should keep him from powering up any further," Pi remarked, holding her hand out to one side and summoning her sword, "Now, let's see how many surface cuts I can make before the wounds run deep enough to slice him open." Threat made, the Saiyan girl charged forward to begin her test.

Kaen was more than happy to let the girl have her fun; she was angry with him, but she'd be less so if she had a chance to work off some of that aggression first. He even decided to make things easier for her, using his astral clone technique to split into four, and each of the four lassoed a different limb with a chain of dark ki, keeping the monster immobile. Grinning as his mate went to work, he noted to himself grimly that such levity wouldn't last forever; despite the sheer domination they'd shown in the fight so far, if Goku couldn't get the Spirit Bomb finished soon, they were still going to lose.

Kaen could feel his own energy burning rapidly, and not just because he was holding Super Saiyan Three; in fact, that wouldn't have made much difference at all, which is why he stayed in the third level. The technique he'd used to recharge himself was powerful, of that there was no doubt, but it was also painfully temporary. The power fuelling him was that of the planet's core, the same core he'd slingshot around to make his entrance, and it was an energy the planet wasn't willing to share for long; after all, if the core cooled too much, the planet stopped spinning, and the planet would literally shake itself apart.

If his calculations were right, he had about three minutes until he'd be out of power again.

_-Dare - dare to keep all of your dreams alive-  
-It's time to take a stand-_

In the end, it took roughly a minute before Pi's assault caused a breech in Buu's structural integrity. And it took roughly one minute and two seconds for all four Saiyans to realise they'd just been played, as the monster smirked at her. All the pieces fit together far too quickly for everyone's comfort. They'd underestimated Buu once again. The monster hadn't even _tried_ to fight back when Kaen bound him, and now they knew why. He'd been compressing all the energy he'd drawn in, waiting for the moment they dropped their guard. This moment, right now.

When the built up energy was released, it wasn't in the form of a comical stream of air, like a balloon being popped, as the Saiyan fighters had assumed. Instead, it exploded with the force of a gigatonne bomb. A massive, wild explosion of raw pink ki shook the planet to its foundations, and caught all of Buu's would-be attackers in a single blast. Gohan and Vegeta, caught more in the shockwave than the actual blast itself, were sent hurtling uncontrollably for hundreds of metres, the prince plowing through a distant mountainside, while Gohan crash-landed in the middle of a forest.

For Kaen, and especially Pi, being caught in the epicentre of the explosion, things were a lot worse. Pi, being directly in front of the monster, took the equivalent of a nuclear blast to the face, driving her back at a sharp angle, shattering through a few trees as though they were made of glass, before slamming into the ground and carving a massive trench that partially buried her, though fortunately left her face uncovered so she wouldn't suffocate. While painful burns covered much of her front half, her contact with fresh earth was boosting her regenerative abilities, though not nearly as fast as Buu was able to rebuild himself.

For Kaen, the real Kaen being one of the ones restraining an arm, it was more like a glancing blow, though a glancing blow from a tactical nuke was still quite devastating. With the explosion annihilating his copies in an instant, the rapid assimilation of three additional consciousnesses was disorienting enough, without himself being caught in the same explosion. The force of the blast sent him skywards in a high ballistic arc, before he was caught in the gravity of one of this planet's moons, slingshotting around it and being fired back to the ground at high speeds. His impact dug him his own thirty-foot trench, before the momentum of the blast wore off.

With all four of his defenders down from a single attack, Goku was left to protect the growing Spirit Bomb all on his own.

_-And you can win, if you dare-_

Quickly reforming within the maelstrom of violence, Majin Buu let out an evil cackle. The massive pretty light was capable of hurting him, of that he knew. He also knew, with how determined they were to protect it, that they would only have one shot. Majin Buu had survived countless battles, more than these things could ever hope to see if they lived a thousand years, and they thought they could _kill_ **him**? Impossible. He was the perfect killer. He was invincible.

And he was going to rip the head off the one holding the pretty light, to ensure things stayed that way.

Goku grit his teeth as chibi death drew nearer. The Spirit Bomb wasn't ready, that much the veteran fighter knew. However, it was also painfully obvious that he had run out of time. Majin Buu would be on him in seconds, and the collected energy of the entire population of Earth would be wasted. Steeling himself, Goku prepared to throw the Spirit Bomb once Buu was just out of melee range; the attack wouldn't destroy him, but hopefully it would wound him enough to allow the Earth-raised Saiyan to finish the creature off.

"NOW YOU DIE!" Buu shrieked, drawing back his right fist as he rocketed ever closer to Goku's stationary position.

By some kind of miracle, the creature's forward charge was halted a mere fifteen metres away from Goku's position; ten metres more, and Goku would've been shoving the collected energy down Buu's throat. Looking up, Goku could see a band of black ki wrapped around Buu's neck, and two more binding his arms. As he watched, another darted out to bind a leg, then another for the other leg, and they kept coming, binding every part of Buu, one piece at a time.

Trailing from the bands of ki were a series of chains, all of which fused into a single length at the first available juncture; a juncture getting closer to the monster with each new band binding the creature closer and closer into a tight ball. And at the head of the chain was Kaen, the black energy wrapped around his right arm all the way past his elbow, strained from the force of holding Buu back, while his left, a fairly large gouge near his shoulder from debris, continued throwing out more and more lashes. The once golden hair, standing proud above his head, was now stained with dirt and blood, but the twice-ascended Saiyan showed no signs of slowing down. His legs, Goku noticed with a start, were actually phased through the ground, giving him the perfect anchor point.

"Oh, not so fast shithead!" Kaen half growled, half hissed out, a snarl on his face, and his scarred eye closed, "I'm not done with you yet!"

_-Everybody's trying to break your spirit, keeping you down-  
-Seems like it's been forever-_

The aura of doom and gloom that permeated the control room of the Icebreaker was practically visible, as they watched Kaen struggle to bind Buu on the view screen with a crushing wave of helplessness. The five Saiyans, upon whose shoulders the fate of the universe rested, were cut off from all support they might have received, and three of them had been taken down in a single attack. There was hope, of course, that Pi, Vegeta, and Gohan, would recover in time to assist Kaen (who, incidentally, never seemed to have the decency to actually _die_ from any should-be-fatal wounds he received, as Truniz pointed out) but even so, things weren't looking good.

All of them, Avarrdo, Kellre, and Truniz included, had underestimated just how much of a deep-seated, malevolent intelligence Majin Buu actually possessed. With 'Fat' Buu's incredulous stupidity and naiveté, and then 'Super' Buu's simple thought processes, it had been very easy to believe that the 'pure' Buu, having a consciousness constructed from countless fragments, would be little better than a wild animal. An image Buu himself had played on, to their detriment. They had gone into this fight believing they fought a creature of instinct, and had instead found one that could not only think, it could _plan_.

And its plan had worked. They had walked right into a trap.

Spinning around to face her father, and away from the sight of possibly the most important person in her world struggling to restrain the embodiment of death itself, Lime exclaimed worriedly, "Dad, you've gotta do something! Niichan's getting killed out there."

Avarrdo shook his head slowly, almost transfixed by the sight of his (technically middle, but currently older) child on the view screen. "There's nothing I _can_ do," he replied, his tone wistful, "Short of killing ourselves, I know of no way for us to reach them in Otherworld." And the thought had crossed his mind briefly.

Joining his sister in badgering their father, Oran shouted, "Surely you've got **something**! You've _always_ got plans and schemes and ideas in that head of yours!"

That much, Kellre was forced to admit even to himself, was true; the problem was, none of the plans they could think of could be accomplished in time to save the others from a painful, and possibly gruesome, death at the hands of the evil bubblegum monster. And, given the fact that they needed to let their engines rest before they could recall the city again, their only option to save the rest of the Saiyan race was also gone. "I'm sorry," the older Saiyan replied, "We can't do anything."

"If you won't," Kat spat icily, "Then _I_ will."

_-But there's another voice if you'll just hear it, saying it's the last round-  
-Looks like it's now or never-_

For Kat, standing by and watching Kaen and Pi (well, and the others too, but especially Pi, and **especially** Kaen) fight, and maybe even die, to protect her, brought up a host of bad memories. She remembered how helpless she'd felt, when those men attacked her, when Kaen had first rescued her. She remembered how helpless she had felt as she watched Pi first die, and Kaen first ascend. She remembered each and every time she had felt completely helpless.

She would be helpless no longer. Even if it cost her life, she was going to stand up for herself, and her family.

Of all the adults present, possibly the only one that truly believed the girl could actually make a difference was Truniz, who asked, "Do you even have a way to reach them?"

As the group watched, the young catgirl's appearance changed. Dark shadows began weaving around her form, as her hair and eyes both faded to black. Adopting the full catgirl appearance, the most obvious change was that her usually red fur was now streaked with black, similar to a tiger. Flexing her newly sharpened claws, she pooled the dark ki in her right hand, before holding her arm behind her, the shadow energy shaping itself into an archway, the interior of which faded away to reveal a dark hallway.

Glancing up at the view screen, Kellre pointed out, "I don't see a matching portal on the Kai's planet."

Kat just rolled her eyes, though given the fact they were almost completely black, the motion was hard to spot. "That's because I can't open the other end until I'm inside," he girl remarked dryly, "With luck, we'll be able to use this to get the injured home. And worst-case scenario, and Buu tries to use it, I can seal him in. It won't hold him forever, but it might buy us some time."

Sparing a glance to each other before nodding, Oran and Lime stepped forward, stating together, "We're coming with you."

"We're coming too!" Goten and Trunks declared, before the lavender-haired child continued, "Kaen said we were the reserve forces, an' I can't think of a time we'd be needed more."

When Chichi looked about to protest her youngest child running off into danger, Goten cut her off with, "Kaasan, if I don't go help, Gohan'll die, an' dad'll die, an' everyone else'll die." Chichi didn't fail to notice that, despite her not being on the list, the people who would die were ranked in order of importance, but Gohan had always been the centre of her youngest son's world. With a sigh, she nodded once, accepting his decision.

Glancing through the portal, Oran blinked for a moment, asking, "So how long _is_ the corridor anyway?"

"I won't know until we reach it," Kat replied, marching through the portal, "So we'd best hurry."

With a nod, the four children followed her in, taking to the air and blasting off towards, hopefully, saving their families.

_-Out of the darkness you stumble into the light-  
-Fighting for the things you know are right-_

'Damn it, I can't hold him much longer!' Kaen growled silently to himself. He'd lost count of how many chains he had used to bind Buu with around the thirty mark, and had been forced to cease throwing more in favour of using both arms to hold the monster back when Buu had almost managed to yank his arm out of it's socket. Fortunately, because the chains were made of Hellfire, Buu couldn't merely liquefy and slip through the cracks, but it was only a matter of time, a minute at most, before either Kaen would run out of power, or Buu would merely be able to break his own way out.

_'Goku,'_ Kaen called telepathically, _'I think you're just going to have to throw it as is.'_

_'But, it's not ready. If I throw it now, it may kill you too.'_ Goku thought back.

Kaen just smiled sadly. _'If that's the way it has to be-'_

He was saved from having to finish that thought by two young voices crying out in synch, though what they cried was different. "Buster Cannon!/Kamekameha!" A massive blue ball of energy slammed into the side of the restrained Buu, followed closely by a familiar looking, though small, blue energy wave, which proceeded to detonate the original blast, and knocked Majin Buu to one side. Using the momentum, Kaen swung Buu around in a circle a few times, before lobbing him towards the five o'clock position, assuming Goku was at twelve, so even should he circle the planet, he wouldn't interrupt Goku's concentration.

"Niichan!" Two other voices declared, racing towards him and wrapping their tiny arms around him; poetically, being as deep in the ground as he was, the part of him above ground was just their height.

"Oran? Lime?" He turned his head, noticing Goten and Trunks standing nearby, relaxing out of a firing position, "How did you guys get here?"

"Kat brought us," Lime replied, as if that explained everything.

Blinking once, Kaen asked, "Uh, how long have you two been Super Saiyans?"

Oran and Lime both looked visibly taken aback, before glancing at each other and noticing that, sure enough, their hair was blonde. "Uh... Since now, I guess?" Oran replied unsurely, as his sister shrugged her shoulder. Smiling slightly, Kaen shook his head; this was clearly their psionics at work. While before, they 'knew' that Pi and himself had only been Super Saiyan, after the past day-and-a-bit they now 'knew' them to be Super Saiyan Two or better. That, coupled with the fact they 'knew' Kaen and Pi had trained them well, meant they now 'knew' they had the potential to ascend; thus, they did, without even realising it.

'Scary thought,' The older Saiyan mused to himself, filing it away for later, before his tired mind realised something. "Wait, you said Kat brought you here?"

_-Dare - dare to believe you can survive-  
-The power is there at your command-_

Phasing out of the ground and into a half-sitting position, Kaen turned in the direction the kids had come from, and sure enough, out from a small group of trees strode Kat, head held high. The battered Saiyan's jaw actually dropped as he checked her power level, and found she was way higher than his base form, a standard she was usually well below, and rising further towards Super Saiyan level. "Kat?" He questioned dazedly, "Where are you getting all this power from?" Noticing she was making arcane looking gestures, shadows pooling around her form as she did so, he added, "And what are you doing?"

The girl merely smiled, pooling the darkness swirling around her into a half dozen balls with a wave of her hand, before replying softly, "It's my turn to protect you Oniisan." With another wave of her hand, the balls of shadow stretched and grew, warping into a humanoid shape, before refining, until there were a half dozen, perfect replicas of Kat herself around her. "Oran, Lime, I want you two to protect Oniisan and Kakarott. Goten, Trunks, see if you can rouse the others."

"And what're you gonna do?" Trunks asked, even as Goten left to find his brother.

Kat just continued to smile and chose not to answer, taking to the sky with her new shadow entourage. Flying over until she was between Buu and the rest of the group, the shadow clones positioned themselves parallel, like a wall between enemy and friend. The six clones mirroring her actions completely, shadows began pooling in their right hand, before all seven started drawing sigils in the sky. When the last was complete, a massive translucent-black barrier exploded into life, the sigils trailing all along the surface. Barrier up, the seven began going through a series of kata Kaen wasn't sure he ever expected to see again, as Kat intoned, "Rejoice! Despair! Fate does not care."

A weight settling down beside him brought a smile to Kaen's face, tired though it was, before he felt a head against his shoulder. Sounding just as tired as he was, Pi muttered, "Is she doing what I think she's doing?"

_-Dare - dare to keep all of your dreams alive-  
-It's time to take a stand-_

"Looks like," Kaen replied, wrapping one arm around Pi, and leaning back on the other, though not as an affectionate gesture; well, not _just_ an affectionate gesture. The hand on the ground phased through the soil partially, before he began coaxing energy out and, using the knowledge he'd acquired from Pi, used the energy gathered for a rudimentary healing with his other hand; whereas her healing focused on rebalancing the body's chi, Kaen's was designed to 'burn away' injuries.

Wrapping an arm around his back, Pi used her own healing ability on him, leading to a bizarre chain under normal circumstances; as Kaen was borrowing energy from the planet, using it to heal himself would be only temporary, but using it on Pi was not, leaving her free to use her new reserves on him. "Remind me never to get so complacent again," the Saiyan girl remarked dryly.

The dance before them drew attention again, as the seven figures began pulsing with light, and Kat's intonation continued. "Each knotted mind entwine. Each soul, anothers' bind."

"I would've thought being point blank for that explosion would be reminder enough," he replied, his tone just as dry, though, truth be told, both had been really worried about the other. Some of Pi's more basic wounds had been healed away from her time in fresh tilled soil, such that it was, just as his had been when he had been near the molten core of the planet, and a few more were fading by his own hand, but they'd both need a qualified healer before too long.

"Touché." It was fortunate that the sharing of techniques had gone both ways, though, Pi thought to herself amusedly, she didn't actually know she knew Kaen's techniques until she saw him use some of them; in her defence, however, Kaen had had Babidi's help filtering the mass of past-life memories, whereas she had not. Phasing her own free hand into the soil, Pi was considerably more polite in asking the planet for whatever help it could give; she and Kaen would both need as much energy as they could gather.

"What's she doing?" The tired voice of one Gohan Son asked from behind the couple, before he lowered himself to the ground to begin drawing out whatever he could from his internal reserves.

Smiling in his sister's direction, Kaen replied, "Buying us time."

_-And you can win, if you dare-_

With a wordless shriek, the newly recovered Majin Buu flung himself against the shield, the flowing sigils amassing wherever he touched as if to repel him; that may have been exactly what they were doing. Despite the monster trying to batter his way through her shield, Kat and her clones didn't so much as flinch, moving on to the next stage of her kata routine. "And blind, though we are lead..."

The very air itself seemed to hum, as the power in the seven 'dancers' began to swell. The kata Kat and her clones performed was originally something she dubbed her Focus Dance, a series of motions to go through to focus her mind and body, but once her normal strength had began to grow, and her ki level rose, her Focus Dance had revealed an odd, and seemingly random, side effect. When it worked, the dance unleashed a massive torrent of energy Kat decided to call Starshadow Storm; when it didn't, her body regressed into a kitten. Sometimes, both happened at once. "In time, we do know when..."

Kaen only vaguely noticed Vegeta crouch down to his right, the four kids taking up a defensive position in front of them. Instead, he focused on his sister, sending up a silent prayer that she'd learnt to control her Starshadow Storm.

A smirk on her face, Kat performed the last step of her kata, intoning, "To cut a thread!" and the entire area was awash with what could only be called un-light. Black became white, light became dark, and every colour between inverted. Before the 'light' could fade, the other side of the barrier was awash with a hail of midnight-black beams, not all of them hitting Buu, or even coming anywhere near him, but in the three seconds it took for colour to return to normal, the entire side of the barrier was one massive pearly-white explosion, with Buu buried somewhere inside.

_-Dare - dare to believe you can survive-  
-You hold the future in your hand-_

Kat breathed a sigh of relief as she realised her technique worked properly this time, before taking a minute to examine her new power level. She guessed she was about two-thirds of the way towards a Super Saiyan Two level, which was quite impressive considering her level one month prior; however, the fact there were currently seven of her at that level was about the only thing that would prevent Buu from wiping the floor with her. For a while, at least.

She glanced back at the barrier she'd erected, still quite mystified as to how, exactly, she'd done it; she remembered the technique, of course, and what she'd done, but not for the life of her where she'd learnt how to do it. That aside, Buu was somewhere on the other side, and it was only a matter of time before he managed to break through; she doubted it'd last long against a second assault. With a thought, she directed her clones into action, the six dark figures opening portals behind themselves and stepping through; _that_ was one technique she knew the origins of, at least.

Sure enough, within seconds, there was a heavy thump against the barrier, amidst the still-fading white explosion, followed by another, and the catgirl quickly floated back, putting a little distance between her and the soon-to-be-destroyed barrier. Steepling her fingers before her, she drew her hands apart slowly, black electricity crackling between her hands, as she counted down the seconds until Majin Buu was free once more, and smiled as she heard the first of six portals opening. The trap was set.

With a noise sounding much like glass shattering, Majin Buu broke through the barrier, screaming towards her at high speed, but the catgirl was ready for him; intelligent or not, Buu was cocky, and knew he was stronger than her. For her, time seemed to slow as Buu approached, and she waited for the right moment before turning both hands to face him, and unleashing a punishing Dark Lightning attack; Buu, she'd observed, was somewhat weak against electricity.

Just as she'd hoped, when the lightning struck him, Buu seemed to lose all forward momentum, caught in the crackling darkness, and quickly trying to back-pedal. Before he could get far, however, two portals opened behind him, yielding two of her clones, each of which unleashed their own Dark Lightning. Two more portals followed, then a further two, on either side of the monster, each sending their own wave of lightning towards Buu, and keeping the creature trapped in their seven-point circle.

Kat knew it wouldn't last forever, but in this fight, every second mattered, so maybe it would last long enough.

_-Dare - dare to keep all of your dreams alive-  
-The power is there at your command-_

Long enough or not, that time came all too soon for Kat's liking, as, with obvious effort, Buu forced his limbs to move again, curling into a ball, before both arms shot out at high speed, each arm punching clear through the chest of a shadow clone, his legs kicked out to decapitate two more, and it was only quick thinking and a well timed dodge on her part that prevented her from being impaled by Buu's head tentacle.

Fighting down panic, Kat went into full retreat, trying to lead the irate Buu away from her family as best she could, the two remaining clones flying after her, and keeping Buu's attention with further Dark Lightning's. When Buu started flinging ki blasts, however, she realised she was in trouble. Buu was throwing around enough energy per blast to blow a hole in her. 'Clearly the shock therapy had a... negative effect on his disposition,' the girl mused to herself with wry amusement, as her second last clone dove in front of a blast that would've removed her head, and probably much of her torso with it.

Kat wasn't thinking about actually beating Buu, nor has she ever. By this point, she was only partially thinking about actually surviving this encounter. No, the main thing on her mind was buying Goku enough time for the Spirit Bomb, or, failing that, buying Kaen, Pi, and the others enough time to recover, so they would succeed where she failed. 'It's what Kaen would do,' she thought to herself firmly, 'It's what he is, was, and will do. Survival of all over survival of one. It's time to do my part.'

With a start, she realised her final clone had been destroyed leaving her as the only target in Buu's way. However, glancing back to confirm this fact brought another fact to mind: the Spirit Bomb was now almost completely behind the horizon, meaning she'd successfully put quite a distance between Buu and Goku. One other thing looking back showed her, however, was that Buu had not already prepared a blast to finish her off, but had actually thrown it.

Fear and panic setting in, and temporarily overriding her resolve, she hurriedly opened one of her dark portals in front of her, diving in just as the blast exploded behind her. The net result: she managed to avoid most of the blast, though she did get rocketed out of the other end like a human cannonball.

_-Dare - dare to keep all your love alive-  
-Dare to be all you can be-_

Jumping slightly as he heard a crash from behind, Oran darted around almost fast enough to make his head spin, hunting for any potential threats, before a second crash revealed Kat crashing out of the forested area behind, having just avoided several trees as she skipped along the ground, before coming to rest behind Kaen and Pi, lying face up. He just managed to catch a glimpse of one of her portals winking out before she laughed tiredly and asked, "How'd I do?"

"You bought us about a minute Oneechan," Lime replied from beside him; having come to properly accept Kat as family during the month Kaen and Pi had been away, he and his twin had debated for a while as to just what to address her as, before eventually deciding on the more formal 'oneechan', if only because Pi was already 'neechan'.

Kat just groaned in disappointment - all that effort for just a minute?! - before Kaen remarked, "You did good sis. You did real good." That put a smile on her face. Turning back to the twins, Kaen then added, "You guys better get outta here. Buu's gonna be back any second, and I'm not going to let you get killed on my watch."

"Nuh uh Niichan," Oran declared, "You're not ready to fight Buu again yet, so it's our turn to buy you some time-"

"-So you better get well quick," Lime finished, the twins turning to face each other and grinning. It was only then that Kaen noticed the two were dressed alike, in gis of mirroring colours, in the style he himself wore; Oran in a red gi with a green undershirt, and Lime in green with red. In a way, it was kind of surreal how the thoughts of 'When did they have time to change?' and 'Were they wearing that the whole time?' flitted through his head, despite the war they were all hip-deep in.

_-Dare - there is a place where dreams survive-  
-And it's calling you on to victory-_

Turning from her brother to the other two boys, Lime barked authoritatively, "Goten, Trunks, protect Kakarott, and make sure that if Buu gets past us, he doesn't get to the Spirit Bomb _or_ the others, got it?" A satisfied smile came to her face when they instantly nodded; if nothing else, their time in the Room of Spirit and Time had made it much easier to control the so-called 'Demons'.

"Whaddya think?" Oran asked, "You tank, I'll DPS?" A slight grin came to Kaen's face at the terminology the twins were using. With a nod and a shared grin, the twins took to the sky, blasting towards the rapidly approaching Buu, before being consumed by a very familiar flash of light. By the time the light had faded, the twins were already stationary in the air, awaiting Buu's arrival.

Lime, floating ahead of her brother, was now in a black gi with a dark grey shirt, and her hair now looked much like how Trunks' did in his normal form, except the golden colour of the Super Saiyan. In one hand she held a sword about a foot-and-a-half long, the blade shaped like some sort of demon wing, and in the other hand, she seemed to be preparing a black fireball. Oran, hovering almost directly behind her, was now wearing a royal purple gi, with a very pale blue, almost grey, shirt, and his hair, now hanging past his shoulder, was twisted around itself in inch-thick dreadlocks. He held in either hand a spear longer than he was tall, and, Kaen noticed, he had four more floating around him.

Kaen couldn't keep the grin from his face at the fact the twins had manage to adopt and adapt the fighting styles of video game characters to work in the real world. 'I'm really going to need to invest some serious time in their training once all this is over,' he mused to himself; there was no doubt in his mind that this _would_ all be over, not any more. They would win, and Buu would die; there was no other way it _could_ be.

Settling in to watch until he was strong enough to help, Kaen thought to himself, 'Okay guys. Let's see what you can do.'

_-Dare!-_

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Author's notes:

I'll be honest, I'm not particularly happy with some of the stuff I've written lately. I'm not particularly good at describing things, nor do I have much skill in writing fight scenes. However, we've passed the halfway mark. The next chapter might pose something of a problem, but after that it should all be downhill from there; after all, I actually know what I want to have in the chapters from E16 onwards, whereas after E10 I was kinda making up everything as I went, which may have/probably did screw up the flow a little.

Still, it's done now, and there's one less chapter I need to write. Part of me feels I'm dragging my feet on too many things, but then, I've already comitted myself to a further six chapters. While it may be a bit of a chore sometimes finding content for some of them, at least having a concrete number of chapters, and a basic plan of what to include in them, is a nice safety blanket for an experiment such as this. I know this story would've been a lot less successful if I hadn't done the planning I did. It's just a shame I could never truly picture much of the early half of the fight, but spent a lot of time thinking on the late half.

I'll probably write the sixth chapter of Shades of Grey before I write E15, but at least I seem to be able to write chapters of that pretty quickly once I get started and focus on writing.

I meant to have this chapter out a day or two ago, but I got distracted, so... Hopefully, the next one will be easier to write. I've already got more planned for it than I did this one.


	55. E15: Otherworld

--- Disturbance, Book 3: Endurance ---

Chapter E15 - Otherworld

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-Go now, if you want it-  
-An otherworld awaits you-_

Kellre and Avarrdo stood side by side, watching on the viewscreen as the twins began to battle with Majin Buu. "It's about time," the older Saiyan remarked casually, "I didn't want to drag them down if they weren't committed."

Avarrdo sighed and shrugged slightly; he, in all honestly, hadn't wanted them to fight, but he knew he'd given up all rights to tell them what to do long ago to their brother. "They would have left with you if you asked," he replied, just as casually, "But without their anger to fuel their power, perhaps events would have been different." It was left unsaid that the twins needed to believe they would help to be able to; even ignoring their unique abilities, which Avarrdo always tried to do to avoid treating them differently, if someone didn't believe they would help, they would only be a liability.

"Yes, but I do not like it," Kellre commented simply.

"Do you doubt the logic?" Avarrdo asked curiously.

Kellre shook his head. "No. But that nothing to do with liking it." Kellre, too, knew why they'd needed to do what they did, but it still left a sour taste in his mouth. Shaking his head again, he added. "I have waited long enough. It is time I join this battle, and long overdue at that."

_-Don't you give up on it-  
-You bite the hand that feeds you-_

Turning away from Avarrdo, Kellre nodded his head at his brother. Truniz just sighed. "To think, I was stronger than you once," the younger Saiyan remarked wistfully, "I kept telling myself that if I could peel you off Raene once in a while I might get a chance to learn some of your new tricks, but I guess I kept putting it off." Pausing, he shrugged off the nearly unseen sword slung over his back and tossed it to his brother, a midnight black weapon to match Kellre's ivory white. "If we get through this, I would appreciate an extended family reunion," he finished with a smirk.

Catching the sword and slinging it over his shoulder in a single motion, Kellre just returned his brother's smirk, replying simply, "Indeed." It was all that need be said.

Turning to his mate, he noticed Raene giving him a level stare, before she stated in a tone of pure determination, "If you fall, I will take up your sword." She didn't need to say any more.

"Then for your sake, and for his," he gently placed a hand on her stomach, "I had best not." He kissed her deeply, before moving away, and waiting for Avarrdo to finish his own goodbyes.

April, for her part, had but one request for her mate. "Bring my kids back to me." It was left unsaid that he had to be alive to bring them. With a nod, he sealed his unspoken promise with a kiss, and moved to join his friend of countless years. Placing a hand on Kellre's shoulder, the older Saiyan raised two fingers to his forehead, before the two disappeared, teleported to the battlefield a dimension away.

_-All alone, cold fields you wander-  
-Memories of it, cloud your sight-  
-Fills your dreams, disturbs your slumber-  
-Lost your way, a fallen knight-_

Kaen had to admit he'd been nervous when the twins began to fight Majin Buu, especially as he was still relegated to the sidelines. He'd only seen them fighting in real combat twice before: once, back before they'd arrived on Earth, where they were way to dependant on each other, and the second time, when they, as Liran, were beating 'Super' Buu from one side of the Lookout to the other. This was actually the first true test of how far they had come since Kaen had found his family travelling the depths of space, and, annoyingly, once again he had missed out on a month's worth of their training.

Still, Kaen held on to faith, knowing that despite what he might have told them to motivate them, the twins had never let him down when it was important. And he found his faith rewarded.

From the very start of their battle, the twins were fighting defensively. Lime's left hand alternated between launching black fireballs, usually to counter a ki blast, and throwing walls of black energy, to repel physical attacks. The sword in her right she only used when it was absolutely safe to, such as when she'd already had him off balance by making him run into a wall, or whenever one of Oran's attacks left him open.

Behind her at all times, Oran was the one doing the most damage to Buu's form, temporary though it was, by attacking with four of his spears, though his hands didn't touch them once. He kept two spears with him, held aloft by gusts of wind, and they constantly spun on their centres on either side of him; these, he used to block any stray energy blasts. The four he attacks with he did so by directing air currents around his sister, in turn using the winds to protect her from anything that slipped past her own defences.

All in all, it was the best teamwork he had ever seen from them, and, best still, it was more incidental teamwork than the 'I need you to succeed' type they had used before. Lime drew Buu's attention towards her as best she could, and used her abilities to protect herself, which just so happened to put her brother out of the firing line most of the time, but on the rare occasions he caught a stray blast, she didn't pause. Likewise, Oran defended himself as best he could, while focusing his attentions more on attacking Buu, and the results of his attacks quite often helped to protect his sister.

Kaen couldn't be more proud of them. But he knew they couldn't hold Buu back much longer.

_-Hold now, aim is steady-  
-An otherworld awaits you-_

There was a sudden whistling blur and Kaen found himself looking at the backs of his father and Kellre, who had just appeared before them. Before Kaen could ask anything Kellre was launching himself towards Buu, a fierce white aura igniting to life around him. As he flew between the twins he extended a fist towards Buu and let out a wordless cry as his aura exploded from pure white to vibrant gold. Somehow known only to him, he had shifted all the excess energy of the Super Saiyan transformation into his punch, which had the effect of firing a baseball out of a bazooka, and sent Buu hurtling into the distance. Kellre smirked as the others watched in shock, and said calmly to the twins as if explaining a lesson, "Strike suddenly, do not let your opponent know they are fighting until they are already running before your march."

Abruptly, there was a pillar of dust and smoke on the horizon, indicating Buu's painful return to terra firma, followed shortly by a bright pink dome of energy, heralding his swift recovery. The very air seemed to reverberate with the shrieked cry of "YOU DIE NOW!" before a trail of smoke indicated quite strongly that Buu was back in the air and headed at high speed back towards the Saiyans. Turning back to the others, Kellre grinned, remarking, "Do excuse me, I must see to our most ungracious guest," before he launched himself after Buu.

As the distance between them narrowed, Kellre drew more and more of his power to the surface, his golden aura beginning to roar like a bonfire. Before the pink putty monster even had a chance to make contact with the elder Saiyan, he was blown back by the force of his second transformation. Shielding his eyes and growling wordlessly, Buu looked down at the latest Super Saiyan Two to challenge him, growling, "Won't help you!"

The tall Saiyan still wore his confident smirk and replied, "It certainly won't be doing you any favours." Before beginning his assault on Majin Buu.

_-One thousand years, you ready?-  
-The otherworld, it takes you-_

If Kaen wasn't already sitting down, he was fairly certain he would have fallen. As it was, about all he could do was look to his father and ask, "What the hell-ass balls are you two doing here?"

Patiently calm, infuriatingly so in his son's eyes, Avarrdo replied simply, "Lending a hand."

Shaking his head slowly, Kaen watched Kellre fighting with almost morbid curiosity, before remarking, "You know what? I shouldn't be surprised by this, but here we are." Shaking his head again, he turned back to his father and asked, "Can he reach the third level too? It seems like he can do damn near everything _else_ I can."

"I wouldn't think so," Avarrdo shrugged, "He seemed as surprised by the existence of the third level as we were. Of course, knowing him as well as I do, I could be wrong, and he was more surprised others could do it. And to be fair," he added, "He was a Super Saiyan Two long before you even demonstrated the ability to reach the first level at the tournament, though he did have a dozen-odd years head start over you, even excluding his research prior to your first ascension." Pre-empting the next question he knew was coming, Avarrdo commented, "I am unable to reach the second level, but as I haven't dedicated nearly as much time to training as Kellre has, that's understandable."

"You're a Super Saiyan too dad?" Lime piped in, having retreated to the sidelines once Kellre took over.

Avarrdo nodded once, before shrugging and saying, "It took me considerably more effort than you or your brothers, but then, it seems each successive generation finds it easier than the one before, as Trunks and Goten prove. If the trend continues, future generations of Saiyans may even be born with the ability." Vegeta couldn't help but laugh at the thought that the power he had dedicated his entire life to gaining might, in a few generations, be as natural as breathing.

_-Go into the sand, and the dust, and the sky-  
-Go now, there's no better plan, than to do or to die-_

"Wait a minute!" Oran shouted. "If you had the ability to bring us here all along, why did you say you couldn't do anything?"

"Because," Avarrdo replied patiently, "If you couldn't find your own way to get here, you weren't ready for this fight. I admit, I was a little concerned when young Kat provided a way for you, but it would appear my fears were unfounded."

Ignoring his siblings banter with his father, Kaen's mind reflected back on Kellre and his father's actions over the past few days, before commenting, "Do you two draw pleasure out of destroying everything I think I know about the universe?"

"Yes."

Kaen's eyes snapped to his father, taking note of the perfectly straight face the man wore. "Uh... okay... Just asking..." Shaking his head slightly as a sudden epiphany hit him, he remarked, "I know what you're doing dad."

Avarrdo just grinned back. "Is it working?" Before his son could begin to form a reply, he heard a cry of "Heads up" from Kellre. Spinning to face the man, he noticed a massive errant ki blast headed their way, and, reacting on instinct, threw his right hand out towards the oncoming attack, firing a thin bar of nothingness from his hand with a cry of "Anti-Matter Beam!"

Kaen gaped as he watched the black bar intercept the attack, before the two ceased to exist. "You made an attack out of anti-matter?" He exclaimed in surprise. "That's insane! You could de-stabilize reality."

"Says the boy who manage to create a fire so hot it can burn back *time*," Avarrdo retorted.

"You sound almost impressed," Kaen remarked wryly.

"So do you. Son." Kaen realised with detached horror that his father was right, he *was* very much like him, and for wonder felt _happy_ that there was pride in his father's tone. At that moment, he had never felt more like his father's son.

_-Free me, pray to the faith in the face of the light-  
-Feed me, fill me with sin, and get ready to fight-_

With a half-amused smile on his face, Kaen nodded once in respect to his father, before asking, "So, what's the plan, father?"

"The plan is quite simple," Avarrdo replied. "Kellre and I, with the kids' help, will keep Buu distracted while the four of you recover, or until the Spirit Bomb is ready, whichever happens first. And for the record, next time, try not to rely on an attack with a variable preparation time."

"Believe me, I never wanted it to come to this," Kaen commented dryly, "I thought he would've been long done by now too, but either he's not as good as we thought, or Hercule was a little _too_ influential."

Father and son both rolled their eyes at the thought of Hercule, before Avarrdo cast his gaze up at his old friend's battle and commented, "I should probably take over before Buu gets too used to fighting him. Surprise is about the only advantage we have over him at this point." Turning to the twins, he added, "You two sit this out for now. Next phase is yours," before taking to the sky.

As he floated towards Kellre, who had just managed to once again hit Buu for a six, the older Saiyan glanced over at him and asked rhetorically, "That time already huh?" With a shrug, he dusted his hands, floating off with a simple, "Don't die on us now. I don't want to deal with an upset April for however long it takes for the dragon balls to start working again."

"Four months," Avarrdo replied back, to be met with another shrug. He turned back towards where Buu went only to receive an extendo-punch across the jaw for his troubles, but he merely rolled with the punch, the skin on his face darkening to gun-metal grey moments before impact; a fairly simple (in his mind, at least) trick of using his ki to reinforce his muscles to the point where they didn't just _feel_ like steel, they _became_ it, temporarily. It allowed him to shrug off pretty much any blow short of something capable of blowing a hole through the Icebreaker's hull, and was one of his only defences against a creature the likes of Buu.

"You know Buu, it's a shame you're so wilfully destructive, because you would've made a fascinating test subject," he commented casually, tilting his head _just_ far enough to one side to avoid a powerful ki blast. "I mean, from a magical point of view a construct like yourself may make sense, from a scientific viewpoint, the idea of a substance able to repair itself after it sustains any damage would be an incredible breakthrough."

_-You know you will-_

"You die now!" Buu shrieked, unleashing a powerful haymaker that, under normal circumstances, could, would, and should have taken his opponent's head clean off; well, not _clean_, there did tend to be a lot of blood and other assorted organic mess. Under normal circumstances, however, he wasn't fighting an opponent who could selectively have the density of a six-foot thick steel wall, and quite frankly, it was frustrating for Buu to fight an opponent as rigid as he was fluid.

Especially when that opponent wouldn't shut up.

"If such advances regenerative capabilities could be sliced into other materials, such as steel, brick, or even glass, well, even _my_ mind boggles at the potential," Avarrdo continued unabated, as Buu continued to rain down blows against him; it's not that they didn't _hurt_, because it still felt like taking a speeding car to the face, but thanks to his little ki trick, he could keep the physical damage to a minimum for a while longer yet.

If his calculations were right, and they almost always were, he should be able to delay Buu long enough using his current stall tactics for the monster to grow complacent and let his guard down. Of course, he wouldn't be able to hold his counterattack for too long, but it should be long enough.

_-You know you will-_

"And it's not just the regeneration that's so phenomenal," Avarrdo continued, not missing a stride as he was forced to swing an arm up to deflect a ki blast he didn't have the time to dodge, "But also the ability to control what _state_ you are composed of. The ability to shift from solid to liquid, and even to gaseous form, and back again, without expending any real effort, seemingly defies one of the most basic laws of science: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."

Snarling wordlessly, Buu launched a series of blasts at the talky one, growling when the man merely moved his arms quickly to bat them aside. A smarter mind might have realised that this had turned into an 'unstoppable force meets immovable object' battle, but Buu merely saw another face to add to the list of pests who just wouldn't DIE!

"What's your father doing?" Trunks commented to the others quietly, keeping one eye on the one-sided beating above at all times.

Kaen grinned almost fondly. "He's doing what he does best."

_-You know, you know, you know, you know, that you will-_

"There is one question, though, to which I absolutely *must* know the answer," Avarrdo stated vehemently. "Whether whatever substance you are constructed of can achieve the _fourth_ state of matter: plasma."

"And what's that boy?" Kellre asked with a wry grin, indicating he knew exactly what the younger Saiyan would say. "Experimenting?"

"Why won't you die?!" Buu shouted, beating uselessly against his opponent's seemingly impervious steel body.

"Plasma is almost as fascinating a substance as you," Avarrdo droned on, "Formed by ionised gas, plasma is created when matter ceases to _be_ matter, and instead, becomes raw energy. One of the only natural forms of plasma is lightning, and it's one of the only substances that has never, truly been replicated in a lab environment."

Kaen shook his head slowly, still grinning. "Wasting time," he commented dryly, adding, "I wonder if I used to look like that when he lectured at _me_."

_-You know, you know, you know, you know, that you will-_

"Plasma is unique among the other forms of matter, in that it is the only one that actively tries to replicate itself," a grin started to form on Avarrdo's face. "I've tested its reactions with all other materials I've encountered to date. When they aren't properly shielded, plasma begins to turn solids into liquids, liquids into gases, and gases into more plasma. It's reactions with living, molecular structures are even more damaging, heightening the activity in the very cells, and causing increased degradation. The smell, alone, as a person's organs begin to liquefy... Well, it's not pretty, though I doubt you'd have much trouble stomaching it, based on what I've seen."

If Buu had hair, he would've torn it out in frustration by now; no matter what he did, nothing seemed to do anything! Blasts either missed, or were parried without effort, and punches and kicks either likewise missed, or did nothing! At the end of his rope, Buu shrieked, "Shut up and DIE!"

Kellre grinned. "Yeah, that's about what you used to look like some times, though you tended to be better behaved. Out of necessity no doubt."

Kaen barked a laugh. "It's like looking at my life in fast forward."

Leaning her head on his shoulder, Pi remarked, "Well, at least this proves you're stronger than Buu."

_-You know you will...-_

"No more talk!" Buu screamed, charging up his perversion of the Kamehameha, and launching it with a shriek of, "Now you DIE!"

Avarrdo merely twisted out of the way with almost mechanical precision, his own arms snapping around and launching out one of his personal favourite techniques, the Fusion Cannon: two balls of energy, one a blood red, the other a deep gold, fired from opposite hands, tearing towards Buu who, too busy channelling the mock Kamehameha, had no chance to avoid the attack. When the two ki blasts met each other less than a foot from the immobile Buu, there was a powerful explosion; not nearly as bad as the Buu-bomb from earlier, but easily enough to launch Buu into a low orbit for a few precious moments.

"How do you figure?" Kaen asked his mate, without taking his eyes off his father; he'd never seen his old man in true combat before.

Pi giggled. "You, at least, could remain alert and controlled during your father's lectures, without resorting to petty violence and name calling. Most of the time."

With a smirk that could only be called feral, the first time in the entire fight he had broken his stoic countenance, Avarrdo folded his arms over his chest, preparing the attack that all of this had been leading to. "The one experiment I have never tried, the one I would love to try more than I can possibly ever describe, is to see what happens when plasma is introduced to an inanimate material that _is_ animated, thanks to dark magicks." As violet lightning wreathed his hands, he stated coldly, "Let's find out what happens!"

_-Fight, fight, fight-_

With a surge of purple electricity, Avarrdo's previously empty hands were now each holding the hilt of a curved dagger, a deeper shade of purple to the lightning still crackling around his fists, but there was no question they were ki-wrought. As the older Saiyan began to draw his hands apart, twisting his wrists so his hands were palm down as he did so, the lightning began to arc between both hands. The lightning arc seemed to thicken the further apart he stretched his arms, until he held them almost directly on either side, a massive lightning bolt easily as long as he was tall anchored between the hilts of both daggers.

"BUU MAKE YOU DEAD!" The pint-sized monster shouted shrilly as he tore through the air at high speeds. No more games, no more half-measures, Buu was going to kill the pest dead!

Avarrdo just grinned. "Begin Phase One," he intoned coldly, opening his hands and releasing his attack. "Plasma Arc!" Freed from his grip, the two ki blades shot towards the oncoming Buu at high speed, the violet lightning between them still sparking. Nothing was going to stop Buu, however, who didn't even attempt to dodge the attack; not that it would've done much good _anyway_.

Buu let out a shriek of pain as the bolt of plasma ripped through him like the proverbial hot knife, slicing him clean in half; his eyes and back were on one piece, and his mouth and chest on the other. The intermittent space, Avarrdo noticed with a satisfied grin, rapidly went from solid to liquid to gas in under a second. He didn't, however, observe any new bolts of plasma being formed.

_-Fight, fight, fight-_

"Fascinating," Avarrdo remarked, with a grin on his face you couldn't have removed with a crowbar, "Application of plasma actually _reverses_ the material's rapid regenerative properties. However, I'm not noticing any ionisation." He crossed his arms over his chest again, purple lightning once again wreathing his hands. "This warrants further investigation. Perhaps further applications of plasma will yield better results."

Buu barely had enough time to get himself back in one piece, and no where near enough time to resume his charge, before he was once again hit by another wave of Avarrdo's Plasma Arc. This one, however, sliced him in half at the waist, and for a brief moment, there was a mass of purple lightning dancing between the two halves, which caused Buu's shriek to rise an octave, before enough of his middle mass was burned away to exhaust any remaining plasma-fuel.

"Wow," Liran remarked, an awed tone to her voice, "It's actually kinda pretty, in a violent way."

"This is awesome!" Trunks added. "Your dad's kicking ass! I didn't even know he could fight."

Liran grinned back. "Well, me and my brothers had to get our violent natures from _somewhere_, and it wasn't from our mother."

_-Fight, fight, fight-_

"Yes, most satisfying! With the affected area compressed, the results are greatly magnified." He was already preparing the next attack. The plan, at this point, was to keep hitting Buu with Plasma Arc until it stopped working as a stall tactic. Avarrdo knew that he wasn't anywhere near strong enough to cause any lasting physical damage against Buu, but psychological damage was his second major strength in combat, right behind crippling his opponents; a tactic that didn't particularly work against Buu. If he couldn't wound Buu's body, he would fog his mind in rage to keep his more cunning instincts buried beneath a red haze.

"DIE!!!" I that regard, Avarrdo was extremely successful. Buu's mind, if such a word could be used to describe the mockery of neurons in Buu's body, was focused on a single task: to turn the talky man into a fine red paste. The plasma flowing through his body wasn't doing much good either, agitating the magical construct at it's very core, so that, by this point, not even Bibidi himself could've controlled the monster's rage.

Avarrdo deliberately held on to his attack until it was almost too late, waiting until Buu was a few seconds out of strike range, before releasing the Plasma Arc one end at a time. The end result: the attack spun wildly through the air like a thrown bola, constricting around Buu as it sliced through him. Powerful surges of plasma sparked through the gashes in Buu's body, wracking almost his entire form with intense electrical energy, and actually completely paralysing the creature for a good fifteen seconds or more. Needless to say, that would've been quite painful.

"You know," Gohan commented out of the blue, "I don't know that's more satisfying: that Buu is getting severely injured by someone who should be well below his level, or that his inability to actually stop the man is infuriating him so. It's just so... karmic."

_-Fight, fight, fight!-_

"Perfect!" Avarrdo exclaimed, fighting back the fatigue plaguing him; he was nearing the end of his energy reserves, having burned up most of his ki on his initial defences. By his calculations, he had only one more full-powered Plasma Arc in him before he would require a rest, or... Grinning slightly, he added, "Let's see what effect a series of smaller doses will have." Charging up the last attack he'd have the energy to create, he twisted his wrists upon release, causing the single wave of plasma to 'snap' into several smaller bursts, each travelling at slightly different speeds.

His body still partially paralysed by the previous attack, Buu was nowhere near as flexible as he usually was, else he would have avoided this attack entirely. As it was, Buu was forced to duck and weave between the plasma storm sent his way, delaying his charge towards his opponent by longer than a single attack would have, but not long enough to give Avarrdo enough time to get away. Not long enough by far.

Kellre was a hair's breadth from telling the kids to help when Oran shouted, "Dad's in trouble!" Without waiting for orders or instructions, the dreadlock'd child swept up his dragon-head lanced in a swirl of wind, and launched them at high speed towards Buu, following in the tailwind. Half a heartbeat later, Liran joined him in the sky, followed a second later by Goten and Trunks.

Buu couldn't help but cackle as he drew close to his opponent. The creature could sense that his opponent was at his limit. It was time to end this little dance once and for all.

_-Hope dies, and you wander-  
-The otherworld, it makes you-_

Despite the grimace at his encroaching demise upon his face, Avarrdo was actually quite satisfied with how everything had turned out. He had bought his son and the others at least a few minutes of extra time to recover, had managed to garner some valuable insight into the creature's weaknesses, and had helped ensure the creature would not be making any more cunning plans any time soon. Were the monster to slay him this second, he could pass on to the afterlife peacefully, satisfied in the knowledge he had done his job. But Death, it seemed, came not for him today; or at least, not yet.

As chibi-death approached him at high speed, the fist that was extended to take his head off snapped back suddenly. With a start, Avarrdo noticed Buu's hand impaled through the wrist by one of Oran's spears, which was, in turn, dug into one of Liran's dark energy walls. Moments later, a second spear pinned Buu's other arm, followed swiftly by both legs. The fifth spear stabbed Buu through the head, right between the eyes, while the last stabbed what would have been his crotch.

Before Buu could so much as blink in response to being impaled, four children's voices cried out in near-synchronization, moments before four attacks screamed towards him at high speed.  
"Kamekameha!"  
"Gallic Gun!"  
"Giga Cannon!"  
"Blast Cannon!"

The four beams spiralled around one another, becoming one massive, multi-colour beam, one that drilled straight through Buu's chest. Unfortunately, for Buu at least, the wall he was pinned against was just as much a wall to the ki blast as it was to him, and as the beam crashed into it, it expanded to cover much of the wall. Of course, with Buu covering much of the wall, that meant the beam expanded to consume much of him.

_-Dreams, they rip asunder-  
-The otherworld, it hates you-_

With a wordless, rising growl, a pink sphere of energy began to expand from the centre of Buu's mass; well, thanks to the wall against his back, it was more a pink hemisphere, but the end result was the same. With almost physical force, Buu pushed the combined ki beam back, as well as repelling any lances when the sphere came in contact with them. Once it had expanded past the wall at his back, the sphere of ki flooded down behind it, consuming the wall completely, and leaving Buu behind an almost impenetrable shield while he repaired his body.

Spinning to his father, Oran barked out, "Get to safety! We'll cover you." With a nod, the older man dropped towards the ground at high speed, and not before time too. Just as Oran turned back towards Buu, the monster let out an evil cackle, before the sphere of ki exploded outwards. Thinking quickly, Oran swirled the winds to drag his lances back to him, setting them side-by-side as a shield in front of him, and dragging Goten behind it for cover.

Lime, however, was too far from her brother, and she knew one of her dark walls just wasn't going to cover it, so she chose an option she would rather not have. With a cry of "Come Guardian!" her shadow became animated, warping and twisting into a figure taller than she was, with massively thick arms and torso, a featureless head, and a lower body made up of nothing but a 'tail'. Looking the world like a fairy tale genie, the shadow took up a defensive position in front of her, and the girl dragged Trunks behind her dark protector just in time to avoid any of the children being swept away in the massive ki wave.

As the light began to fade, but before the children could safely leave their shielded position, Buu took off towards the retreating Avarrdo; he still had a score to settle! Before he could get anywhere near the man, Kellre drew his brilliant white sword, charging Buu with a shouted "Twin Destiny!" With the attack telescoped long before it would have struck, Buu easily dodged to the side, and was seconds away from laughing at his opponent when a black blade split him in half.

A black blade in the hand of a second Kellre.

_-Free now, ride up on it-  
-Up to the heights, it takes you-_

The twin Kellre's provided enough of a distraction for the kids to recover, as evidenced by the black fireball that torched off Buu's head-tentacle. When the monster leaned his head back and opened his mouth, either to scream or to belch a ki blade (no one was sure which) a pale violet, dragon-headed lance impaled him down the throat and out through the pelvis. Taking advantage of the extra distraction the twins had provided, the twin Kellre's lashed out with their swords, moments before Goten and Trunks returned to the fray, and in moments it was a free-for-all between the five Saiyans, and Majin Buu.

"Well, that could've gone better," a tired Avarrdo remarked, landing on the ground next to the recovering Kat, "But, all told, I'd still call the experiment a success."

Kaen shook his head slowly, laughing slightly. "You crazy, suicidal old man. You better sit the rest of this dance out; mother would never let me live it down if I let you die on my watch."

With a nod, Avarrdo all but flopped down next to Kat, who had recovered enough energy to sit up. "So, bro," the young redhead asked with a smile, "You're finally ready to finish this?"

Vegeta answered for the group, as the four Saiyans climbed to their feet. "Indeed. It's well past time we destroyed this monster for good." The Saiyan prince grinned over at Goku, still trying to will the Spirit Bomb into shape. "You better hurry up and finish that Kakarott, before we find a way to destroy Buu without you."

"All together?" Pi asked, gazing between the three men.

Gohan nodded, rolling his shoulders, before grinning at the others. "Let's raise some hell."

_-Go now, if you want it-  
-An otherworld awaits you-_

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Author's notes:

Nothing to report, except that I should've had this out days ago, but things kept coming up.


	56. E16: Hell

--- Disturbance, Book 3: Endurance ---

Chapter E16 - Hell

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-Burning now I bring you hell-_

Trying to dodge attacks from six different sources at once, Buu was discovering, was an effort in futility, especially when over half of those sources were smaller than he was. He had only been in combat with the pint-sized brats and the sword-wielding twins for about twenty seconds, and already he had been hit more times than he could count, simply because he couldn't block everything at one. Needless to say, this was very quickly becoming frustrating, and when Buu got frustrated, people got hurt; this time proved to be no exception.

When the next person attacked him, Buu lashed out with his newly regrown head-tentacle, wrapping it around the neck of whichever brat it was, he didn't stop to look; it turned out to be Lime. Brat secured, Buu swung it around wildly, forcing the others to back away lest they injure one of their own. In the second of time it granted him before the attack resumed again, Buu threw his head back, simultaneously releasing and throwing the child, as a pink light began to grow in his throat; a fair distance behind him, Pi caught the haphazardly through child, messing her hair up before the two moved to rejoin the melee

However, before Buu could release the growing blast, the air before him was suddenly filled by irate, smirking teenager, one hand drawn back as a golden light began to consume him. Copying Kellre's trick from earlier, Kaen harnessed all the excess energy burnt off through transforming not just into the first level of Super Saiyan, but jumping straight into the second level. Unlike Kellre, though, Kaen didn't use this for mere concussive force: he focused all of it into a single baseball-sized golden ki blast. A blast he proceeded to force down Buu's throat with a shouted, "Surprise asshole!"

_-Oh, burning now I bring you hell-_

Eyes bugging out comically, even more so as the teen followed the motion with an uppercut to close his jaw, there was nothing Majin Buu could do to prevent the coming disaster. The blast was too far gone to simply reabsorb the ki once more. The end result was somewhat similar to firing a bullet down the barrel of another gun just as that gun had been fired - the two powerful blasts met in Buu's throat, and detonated each other. The golden ball of ki seemed to ignite as soon as it came in contact with the pink blast, swiftly torching Buu's throat before consuming his head entirely from the inside out in golden flames, before gutting out rapidly, leaving a headless body behind, and ashes on the wind.

Giving him a wry grin, the Kellre holding the white sword called out, "You stealing my techniques now boy?"

"Hardly," Kaen shot back, "I made it better."

A timely intervention by Gohan and the Z Sword prevented one of Buu's extended arms from taking Kaen's head off. "How about we save the pointless banter for _after_ we've killed the insane homicidal bubblegum monster?" The half-Saiyan commented, a hint of a grin on his face.

"Spoilsport." Gohan met Kaen's reply with an eye roll.

Majin Buu, head newly regrown, let out a shriek of, "BUU MAKE YOU ALL DEAD!"

"Looks like you just made his mouth bigger," Vegeta commented from his left.

_-Leave me tonight, when the warnings said leave a shudder upon you-  
-Running from all that you've feared in your life-_

The Saiyans gathered in front of Buu scattered, an intense pink beam carving through the airspace they'd occupied, as Buu once again belched out raw pink ki. Deciding the one that had so recently taken his head off was more important, Buu turned his head to track Kaen, the stream of ki trailing as Buu constantly re-aimed the attack. All his efforts got him, however, was a Masenko to the back, followed swiftly by a dog pile of beam attacks from the others.

They kept this pattern up for a time, one of them being a running decoy while the others chipped away at Buu with their attacks, but all too soon their attacks were doing less and less. "This isn't working," Kellre commented, floating up beside Kaen. "We might need you to employ that new planet-killer technique of yours."

A grin coming to his face, Kaen asked, "What makes you think I've got a new technique in the works?"

"Because you're you," Kellre replied swiftly, before adding, "Besides, what self-respecting Saiyan _doesn't_ have a new super technique 'just in case'?"

"Touché. On both counts." Shaking his head, he commented, "I'm going to need a distraction."

He got his distraction soon enough. Unfortunately, it was in a way none of them could have predicted. Buu's anger had reached critical levels once more, and as always when that happened, Buu broke rank. Buu lashed out with his head tentacle, this time sharpened to a point, and before anyone could react, Trunks, his current target, had been run clean through.

_-Soul of the night, will a son mislead paint a horror upon you-  
-Marking the moment, displaying in my ghost of a life-_

"NOOO!" It wasn't entirely certain who cried out first, nor who reacted first, because everything seemed to happen at once. Lime's Guardian roared as she charged the monster, the black shadow batting Buu aside with one hand, and gently catching Trunks with the other. Before Buu could recover from the assault, a torpedo by the name of Goten slammed into him, the Son Headbutt engaging with maximum speed and power, so much so the youngest Saiyan actually left a massive dent in Buu's forehead from his impact.

Fire burned in Lime's veins, and her blood sung with the desire to rip Buu to shreds, but she knew she had to protect Trunks first, and that her current abilities were based around defence, so she did what she knew she had to do, blasting towards her Neechan at high speed, knowing, praying, that Pi could make everything better. Oran, however, had no such compunctions against attacking, and as her twin, he could feel her white-hot rage, mixing with his own, and taking him to a level of pain and anger rivalled only by his brother watching Pi die.

Eyes glowing with raw energy, Oran gave a roar of power, the skies above darkening with thick storm clouds, and from these clouds descended seven tornadoes; one for each of his lances, and the last, enveloping himself. The superstorm raged towards the dazed Buu, the razor-sharp winds stripping away pink flesh whenever they got close enough, and the monster was forced to dodge between them or get torn to shreds.

With a sudden flash of light, like a bolt of lightning, Oran dashed out of the middle tornado, fist impacting Buu's centre mass and knocking him closer to another funnel, as Oran dived into one of the whirlwinds containing a lance. He shot out of the twister moments later, spear in hand flashing as he threw it through Buu's torso and caught it on the other side, slipping into the centre of another twister to fetch another spear.

Again Oran lashed out, before collecting another spear, and again, and again, until he had recollected and attacked with all six of his weapons. Then, for his final play, he dove back into the centre squall, drawing the other six towards him, and dragging Majin Buu into the heart of the largest and most violent windstorm history had seen in at least a generation. As the storm died down, a battered, beaten Buu was revealed, impaled and crucified by six lances, and held aloft for retribution. Retribution that was swift in coming as Goten, coming around for another pass, used the Son Headbutt like his brother had before him in punching a hole straight through his target.

And through this all, Vegeta remained frozen in horror.

_-That I can't condone the way you left me out in the open-  
-To leave me to die-_

The sight of his only child impaled on the pink tendril had sent Vegeta's mind back in time seven years, to the horror that had been the Cell Games, when he had been forced to watch as the future version of his son was impaled through the chest by a pink beam of energy. The boy who had wanted nothing more than to make his father proud, had died on the battlefield from a chance encounter; Cell hadn't even been aiming for him. He remembered, seeing his future son dying, going into a rage and attacking Cell, only to be as useless as that fool Satan. Worse, in fact, as in saving his life, Gohan had gotten severely injured, and their only hope of stopping Cell had almost lost his left arm.

When the fight was done, Vegeta had made a silent vow to himself that he would take care of his family, so that his son didn't meet the same fate as his future son had: to die fighting a war that wasn't even his. To that end Vegeta had pushed his son into training, had forced Trunks to his limit, and beyond; had made him get stronger than he himself had ever dreamed of being at that age. He shouldn't have been all that surprised that his son ascended into the ranks of the Super Saiyan.

Watching his son fighting Kaka- No, Cellotto's brother, in the tournament, had been one of the proudest moments in his life. It had been his chance to show the world that his son was strong, that he had matched Kakarott's blood in fair combat, and that he would never have to suffer the fate his future self had. Then came the arrival of Babidi and Majin Buu. Vegeta was ashamed that he had let his pride get the best of him, and not only robbed his child of his father, but forced his son to take his place in a war he should never have been involved in.

Still his son had survived, and once more, Vegeta was incredibly proud of him. But now, seeing his son repeating the fate of his future self, the Saiyan prince's greatest wish was that he had taken more time to _tell_ his son just how proud of him he was. Vegeta loved his son, of that he had no doubt, but not once in the boy's life had he ever **told** him that. And now, this monster was going to take his son away from him, and he was just as helpless to prevent it as he had been seven years ago.

Deep inside Vegeta, something snapped.

_-So how can I, forget the way you led me through the path into heaven-  
-To leave me behind-_

Vegeta gave a roar to the heavens, as all his fear, all his rage, and all his pain, boiled to the surface. Just as the tempest spawned by Oran was dying out, a new storm was forming around the Saiyan prince. The storm clouds drawn in by Oran now swirled around the air above Vegeta, as a massive golden pyre exploded around his form. As the roar continued, the swirl of energy dragged the clouds from the sky into his own personal tornado, hiding him from view.

Kaen felt a smile come to his face, as he felt Vegeta's power begin to skyrocket. "He's done it," he remarked with pride.

More power burned through Vegeta's body than he had ever dared dream of, but he noticed none of this. His only thoughts were that the monster before him was going to kill his son, and then his mate, and then his entire people, if he didn't stop the creature here and now, and with this thought came a rage unlike any he had experienced before. With this rage came power, and with this power, came pain, which only fuelled his rage.

His eyes burning white, Vegeta could actually feel the bones in his face shift, could feel his skull reshaping, his eyebrows receding into solid bone. With the rush of energy and wind around him, the massive length of golden hair was actually held aloft for a good few moments, before the dying winds, coupled with the sheer weight of it all, left the mass of hair trailing down his back past his thick, golden tail. With one final explosion of power, the storm was blown away, revealing the new Vegeta.

Sitting up, a look of awe on his face, the newly healed Trunks whispered reverently, "Dad... He's..."

Beside him, Lime grinned. "He's a Super Saiyan Three."

_-Now I can't stay behind-  
-Save me, from wreaking my vengeance upon you-  
-To killing more than I can tell-  
-Burning now I bring you hell-_

A cold smirk came to Vegeta's face as he observed the fear on Buu's face; as powerful as the monster was now, it remembered what happened the last time it faced a newly ascended Super Saiyan Three; and it knew, deep inside, that newly ascended Saiyans were always more powerful than someone who had done it before. In the back of his mind, he noticed that his son was alive and well, restored by the healing touch of Kaen's mate, and resolved to thank Pi personally when all this was over. Turning to Majin Buu, he remarked coldly, "You're afraid of me aren't you?"

Twitching visibly, Buu shrieked, "Buu fear nothing!"

"But you **do**," Vegeta continued. "You fear me, fear us, because you fear your own death. You fear your own death so much, you will mete out death to everyone and everything, until all that remains alive is you, leaving nothing that can kill you. But mark my words: You will die this day."

Still twitching, Buu growled, "You think you kill Buu?"

"Me? No," Vegeta shook his head. "I know _I_ will never be able to kill you." He smirked. "But that doesn't stop me from trying!" Throwing his arms out to either side, Vegeta readied an attack he had prepared for just such a situation, similar in many ways to his now-trademark technique, but infinitely more powerful. "Final Shine!"

Unlike the raw power of Vegeta's Final Flash, the green beam than lanced from his joined hands was focused to laser precision, containing the energy of at least a dozen thermonuclear warheads, all within a radius of roughly a hand span. All of this left only a single conclusion: the entirety of Buu's head, as well as a good portion of his chest, was instantly vaporised by the ionised beam of raw death.

_-Oh, burning now I bring you hell-_

Vegeta exhaled slowly, putting the increasingly annoyed regenerating monster out of his mind, and focusing on the power going through his system. At any other time, on any other day, there was no doubt in Vegeta's mind that all this power would have gone to his head. On any other day, Vegeta would have unleashed every ounce of his power that he could in what would have been a futile effort to destroy a monster that defied the rules of life and death. On any other day, this power would have been proof, in his mind, that victory was his by right.

On any other day, Vegeta would not have witnessed his opponent almost kill his son.

Today, Vegeta was not fighting for his pride, his ego, or his right to be the best. Today, Vegeta was fighting for the survival of his family, and for the survival of those he called 'friend', though never to their face. Cracking his neck to either side, the Saiyan prince turned to the Saiyans behind him, rolling his shoulders as he remarked, "I'll keep the creature busy. I leave it to you to slow it down."

Kaen nodded, giving a half-hearted bow. "As you say." Both men understood that the gesture was about as much respect as the younger-but-older Saiyan would ever show the prince, his deal with Gohan not-with-standing.

Turning back to Buu, Vegeta stated regally, "Today, I reclaim my birth right. Today, I am Prince Vegeta once more." With a roar of power, the prince threw himself into the fight.

_-Free me tonight, lest the animal caged free a terror upon you-  
-Caught in the moment, engaging in my bloodlust tonight-_

"Whatever you're going to do boy, do it now," Kellre commented gravely, keeping his eyes on Buu, "The prince has got the power, I'll give him that, but he hasn't got the find control or the stamina to be anything more than a moving target for too long."

With a nod, Kaen dropped down to the ground, remarking, "Just... cover me, okay. It's the first time I've ever actually done this, so I'll need all my concentration to get it right."

Intrigued slightly, the older Saiyan asked, "What are you going to _do_, exactly?"

Kaen grinned, his eyes sliding shut. "I'm going to combine everything I know into a single attack."

Before the older man could comment further, Kaen held a hand out before him, fingers splayed, as he focused his power. With a grunt and a violent facial twitch, Kaen forced himself to the third level once more, grunting in effort as he wrestled with the excess power and forcing it to adhere to his will, pooling in his extended hand. Sweat began dotting his brow as a golden ball, roughly the size of a softball, formed above his palm, before shrinking and splitting into five smaller balls, each the size of a jawbreaker.

The five balls of ki began to drift around his hand lazily, each bleeding different colours; one red, one blue, one green, one black, and one darkening from gold to yellow. The ki balls finally stopped drifting in a rough pentagonal shape, with the red and blue level at the top, green and yellow in the middle, and the black at the bottom. Tendrils of energy extended out away from each ball, reaching out first to their adjacent ball, then opposites, forming a perfect, inverted pentagram.

It was then, with the rune 'drawn', that Majin Buu noticed the high concentration of energy over the massive level the Saiyan prince was emitting, but by then, it was far too late. A sixth ball began to form in the very centre of the pentagram, siphoning energy away from the other five. Within seconds, the centre ball was a swirling mass of colour. The final few seconds had been long enough for Buu to knock Vegeta away, but not nearly long enough for the monster to have a chance to react to the incoming attack.

A smirk coming to his face, Kaen's eyes snapped open, as he announced his new technique's name. "ULTIMA CANNON!"

_-Now I can't control my venom's flow-  
-Get back from me demon, or be exorcised-_

A technicolour beam as wide as Kaen's torso lanced out of the ball before him, warping the light around it as it carved a path through the sky. With a shriek of terror, Buu attempted to dodge the beam, and managed to reduce it from a direct headshot, to a glancing chest wound, a neat hole carving away the entire left side of Buu's chest below the arm. The faux flesh around the wound began to fester and rot, decay setting in at a rapid pace, before Buu grit his teeth and forced the decay to halt.

Buu's regeneration did not kick in, at least not in the usual rapid fashion.

"Shit!" Kaen hissed through his teeth, panting heavily from the effort of forming the blast, "All that and I missed!"

"He's having trouble regenerating," Avarrdo noticed, somewhat detached; he always was more of a scientist than a warrior. Buu, it seemed, realised instantly just how dangerous that attack could have been, and glared balefully at Kaen, focusing energy in his hands to hopefully eliminate the pest once and for all. However, at the edge of his senses, he noticed a second power build-up: Pi.

The girl had not been idle while her mate prepared his new attack. She knew that, even if Buu did manage to sense anything past the roaring inferno that was Vegeta, all he would be able to pick up would be Kaen. So, she had taken it upon herself to prepare her _own_ new planet-killer technique.

Closing her eyes, Pi focused all her energy, almost like a prayer, and willed into existence a massive halo of pure white ki, roughly three feet above her head. Raising a hand beneath the halo, she dragged the ring down as if to aim through it towards Buu, focusing more energy to the ring. It was then, as she completed her attack, moments after Kaen had fired, that Buu noticed her.

Pi had to admit, the look of horror on Buu's face when he saw her attack was a memory she would remember fondly forever. "Die, monster!" The girl shouted. "Broken Halo!" The entire ring filled with a blinding light, seconds before firing a massive wave of pure white energy, easily able to rival Final Flash in size. A second shriek of terror escaped Buu, moments before morphing into a shriek of pain, as his legs were completely consumed by the pearl blast.

_-Now I can't stay behind-  
-Save me, from wreaking my vengeance upon you-  
-To killing more than I can tell-  
-Burning now I bring you hell-_

Kellre's eyebrows rose as he watched the burnt hole in Buu's side, from Kaen's blast, seemed to ignite from 'sparks' coming off Pi's beam. The flames, if they could be called that, seemed to boost Buu's regenerative abilities into overdrive, but at a cost; Majin Buu's power level took a nosedive. Granted, he was still comparatively stronger than anyone on the planet save the newly ascended Vegeta, but a dive was a dive.

Dropping to one knee as she watched Vegeta re-engage Buu, Pi muttered, "Damn, it didn't... it didn't do any damage! I actually healed him!"

"No, you didn't," her father replied swiftly, resting a hand on her shoulder. "The body may be fixed, yes, but with a toll paid by the soul." Looking between the couple, he asked, "Think you two can do that again?"

Pi looked at her mate worriedly, waiting for him to reply, and he did so unsteadily. "I think... I think so. I'm pretty sure I've got enough in me for one more, but after that, I'll be completely out of energy." Pi nodded back almost sadly; if she was reading her own energy reserves right, they were both in the same boat, and this time they wouldn't be able to get a planetary recharge.

"Then we had best make it count," Kellre remarked with an air of finality. "Even with his power drop, Buu's too fast for either of you to hit in this state. You're going to need to aim for each other's attacks - make them converge near Buu. Violently so." Turning to the others, he outlined the rest of his plan. "Kids, it's up to you to keep the heat off Kaen and Pi. Gohan, once they've fired, it's up to you and I to get everyone away from the danger zone, which I'm fairly certain is going to be big."

"Crossing the streams, huh?" Kaen quipped, giving his mate a quick, reassuring smile. "Sounds like a blast."

It was a tense handful of minutes as the two lovers prepared their attacks, with Oran setting up a spear-wall before Kaen, and Lime and the other boys keeping any stray blasts away from Pi. Finally, though, the two attacks were complete, and as one, the two Saiyans shouted, "Everybody hit the deck! Fire in the hole!"

"Ultima Cannon!"

"Broken Halo!"

_-All my emotion and all my integrity-  
-All that you've taken from me-_

Gohan and Kellre worked fast, rapidly utilizing Instant Transmission to gather up everyone, leaving three until last: Kaen, Pi, and Vegeta. The Saiyan prince actually took the time to give Buu a grin that seemed to scream, 'you're dead now, bitch' moments before Gohan appeared behind him, placing one hand on his shoulder, and vanishing with a slight whistle. It was then that Buu noticed the two powerful blasts tearing towards him, and threw up a shield to deflect them.

But they weren't aimed to hit him.

Less than a foot from the edge of Buu's shield, the two blasts collided, a massive dome of pale white light expanding rapidly from the juncture, covering a space easily equal to Satan City, and stopping just shy of the Spirit Bomb. The dome of light, however, was harmless, causing Buu to make the mistake of lowering his shield in confusion; what followed the dome's expansion was anything but harmless.

Everything inside the dome began to twist and warp, degenerating quickly from stable reality to a constantly shifting state, then further, until all within the dome could only be described as pure possibility, everything that ever was or could be, and yet, at the same time, nothing at all. By Saiyan science, Kaen and Pi had created a localised zone of pure Wyld. The stable reality outside the dome seemed to yank a few 'threads' of chance free, as if to maintain the stability outside the dome, as everything inside degraded into a massive snarl that promptly collapsed in on itself, leaving, for one brief moment, a dome of absolute Nothing, before reality rushed in to fill the gaps.

In the space of ten seconds, all that remained of everything under the dome, now revealed to be a perfect sphere, was a massive crater.

Avarrdo stared wide-eyed at the two teens, their Super Saiyan forms seeming to shatter back to their default state, before remarking, "You... You actually managed to **unmake** a portion of reality!"

Kaen hissed through his teeth, collapsing to the ground as he panted out, "That sounds bad. Do you think we got 'im?"

Pi shook her head tiredly, before resting it against her mate's shoulder. "Honey, he survived being burnt back in time. I don't really think being unmade at a metaphysical level is going to do more than slow him down and make him very angry."

_-All my emotion and all my integrity!-  
-All that you've taken from me!-_

Pi's words proved themselves true all too soon, by a scream of, "BUU MAKE YOU DEAD!"

"Thirty seconds," Kaen groaned tiredly, "I think that's a new record."

"He's weaker," Kellre noted with a grin; Majin Buu's power level had dropped drastically. Where once the pink monster was just shy of a thrice-ascended Saiyan in power, now he would have had trouble going toe-to-toe with a Super Saiyan Two. Unfortunately, the only people left with a higher power level than Buu were Gohan, Vegeta, and Kellre, all of whom had already burned through a lot of their energy. It was still going to be close, but things were looking up. Glancing over at the others, the elder Saiyan shouted, "Hit 'im with everything you've got!"

"You heard the man brats!" Vegeta cried out, "Hold nothing back!"

As the younger Saiyans began unleashing their strongest abilities, Avarrdo glanced over at his old friend, asking simply, "Shall we?"

Kellre grinned back. "You do realise that this planet won't likely survive for too long if we do this?"

Avarrdo just gave him a wry look. "My son is here. This planet was doomed anyway." With a nod, the two Saiyans began gathering energy between them, a midnight black mass of ki collecting, before the two chanted as one, "Hyperspace Cannon!" The massive beam of raw void energy tore through the skies, lancing just past Majin Buu, but the two Saiyans had never intended it to hit. The very second he could stop concentrating on the Hyperspace Cannon, Avarrdo had already begun preparing his next attack, hands held above his head, with purple lightning lancing between his fingers. "Time to ride the lightning Buu! Doomsday Catalyst!"

Dark waves of plasma streamed out from between Avarrdo's hands, but they weren't aimed at Buu; they were aimed _everywhere_. The lightning bolts spread out across the sky, igniting the ki left in the air from all the energy attacks used thus far, until the sky was awash with fire, consuming Buu completely. The creature let out a cry of pain, plummeting from the cloud of flame, and Kellre was waiting. "Destiny's End!"

There was no visible attack that anyone could see. However, one second Buu was normal, though recovering from the cloud, and the next, screaming in pain, as his very body seemed to be shaking itself apart at the molecular level.

Suddenly, a cry arose that changed the course of the battle entirely. "The Spirit Bomb is ready!"

_-Now I can't stay behind-  
-Save me, from wreaking my vengeance upon you-  
-To killing more than I can tell-_

Watching all the combat going on around him, and not being able to help, had been torture to Goku. His friends and family were risking their lives to protect Earth, and the rest of the universe, but all he could do was stand there, willing the Spirit Bomb into readiness. The greatest battle in the known universe, and Goku had been forced to sit it out, but now, that was about to end. The Spirit Bomb was ready, with the combined strength of every living soul on Earth, as well as a good portion of his own energy to speed things up, and it was past time to destroy Majin Buu with it.

"It's time Buu," Goku remarked coldly. "Time to die."

"Everyone clear out!" Kellre shouted, he and Avarrdo grabbing Kaen and Pi to evacuate them.

"The people of Earth have a good-bye present for you Buu!" Goku shouted, rearing back. "Have it! Spirit Bomb!"

The massive bright blue ball of energy crashed down towards the weakened Buu, almost dwarfing the Earth's moon in size, and with it's own gravitational field dragging up broken trees and loosened soil. Crying out in terror, Majin Buu threw up his arms to try and catch the deadly attack.

The attack stopped in its tracks.

"What?" Goku exclaimed in shock, forcing all his remaining energy into trying to push the Spirit Bomb forward. "I... I can't move it! Buu's too strong!"

The cackle of insane laughter mocked them, as Buu began slowly forcing the Spirit Bomb back.

_-Soul of the night, I know now I can't stay behind-  
-Save me, from wreaking my vengeance upon you-  
-To killing more than I can tell-  
-Burning now I bring you hell-_

"Dad's too low on power," Gohan remarked, turning to the younglings and shouting, "Kids, we've got to give him a hand! We're the only ones pure of heart enough to touch the Spirit Bomb!" Oran and Lime dropped back to their original forms, and the four pint-sized Saiyans darted into the air to push the Spirit Bomb, with Gohan joining them. However, all they managed to do was stop the attack coming back; even with all their strength behind them, they couldn't push it forward.

Gritting it's teeth, Majin Buu began gathering all the energy it could without having to withdraw attention from pushing the Spirit Bomb, using every scrap of it to try and overpower his enemies, and crying out, "YOU NO KILL BUU! BUU MAKE YOU DEAD!"

"It doesn't look good," Kat remarked a touch defeatedly.

Vegeta grunted. "All that energy, and it will be for nothing if they can't hit Buu with it."

"And we can't do anything to help them," Pi added remorsefully.

With a grunt of effort, Kaen forced himself to his feet, shooting a meaningful glance at Kellre as he did, before stating, "Oh yes we can." Clenching his fists, Kaen forced himself into Super Saiyan, nodding once at Kellre, before the older Saiyan raised two fingers to his forehead and disappeared.

"What are you going to do Kaen?" Pi asked, confident in his abilities, but still with a touch of fear; she had no problems with sacrificing her own life to protect him, but deep inside her, she didn't want Kaen to do the same for her.

With a flare of fire, Kaen's sword materialised in his hand, as he intoned, "What I can." Then, with a burst of flame, he was gone.

High above the Spirit Bomb, Kellre gathered all the energy he could for the only attack he had that could be called 'pure' enough to touch the Spirit Bomb, aiming the gathered blue-white ki beneath him and declaring, "Wrath of the Dragon Kings!" The beam struck the Spirit Bomb with concussive force, and slowly, the death ball began inching down.

In a burst of flame, Kaen phased in behind Buu, his sword wreathed in black fire. "End of the road," he panted out, swinging his sword in an arc to neatly slice through both of Buu's wrists, noticing in the back of his mind that the monster had ki gathered in his hands. The Spirit Bomb suddenly began descending much more rapidly, but Kaen knew Buu would try to escape, so he did the only thing he could; the flames around his sword switching to blue, Kaen stabbed Buu through the back, pinning the creature to the ground. Kaen felt a grin come to his face as the massive ball crashed down towards them. "I'll see you in Hell."

_-Oh, burning now I bring you hell-_

The sky was rocked by a massive explosion, the very planet shaking right down to the core, as every Saiyan on the planet was momentarily blinded by the brilliant light. When the explosion faded, all that was left where Majin Buu and Kaen had sword was the latter's sword, still half-buried in the ground. Collapsing to the ground, Oran and Lime moaned out slowly, "Oniichan... no..."

Part of Pi was instinctually starting to join them in grief, when a fact occurred to her. 'Wait a minute,' she frowned slightly, 'If Kaen were dead, I would've felt something. I felt something when _I_ died, and I saw what that did to Kaen, so if I'm not feeling anything, then he _can't_ be dead!' Glancing up at her descending father, she noticed him grinning at her, moments before a sharp whistling sound drew her attention; one that terminated abruptly into a shower of dirt, as something solid slammed into the ground a little ways behind them. Rushing over, Pi felt a tired smile come to her face when sure enough, she found her singed mate lying in the crater.

"Ugh... Remind me never to do that again..." Kaen remarked painfully, trying to sit up, moments before the twins tackled him back to the ground.

Pi just sighed. "You really _are_ trying to get on my nerves aren't you?"

Kaen couldn't help but grin at her. "You had two deaths to your name. It seemed only fair to even the scoreboard."

Giving him a confused glance, Goku asked, "How did the Spirit Bomb hurt you? It only affects evil people."

Pi just sighed dramatically again. "He does try to be good, but... I guess that bad boy nature is too hard to break."

"No, dad's right," Gohan added worriedly. "Kaen should be good now - I personally killed his evil half. There's no way he could have done enough 'bad' since leaving the tank for the Spirit Bomb to hurt him."

Eyes widening in fear, Goku continued, "If the Spirit Bomb was able to hurt someone good, then that means-"

"BUUUUUUUUUUUU!" The cry echoed across the face of the planet, driving a cold wedge of fear in their spines, as their nightmare continued. The Buu that emerged from the smoke looked like some unholy amalgamation of every Buu they had seen so far: grey in colour like Evil Buu, about Kid Buu's size, wearing Fat Buu's vest and yellow, and Super Buu's pants and black wrist-guards. This Buu was no where near as strong as Kid Buu, hovering around the level of Fat Buu, but in the end, Buu's level was a moot point; every Saiyan on the planet was completely out of energy.

"W-whadda we d-do now Niich-chan?" Goten asked fearfully.

"I don't know Goten," Gohan replied sombrely. "I just... don't know."

_-Oh, burning now I bring you hell!-_

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Author's notes:

All that effort, and the Spirit Bomb didn't even work. Yes, I will be explaining _why_ it didn't work soon enough. For all those wondering why I went with this ending, let's just say I was given a much better idea for how to kill Majin Buu than Goku's 'golden bullet'; I never liked the whole 'Spirit Bomb' ending anyway. It just gave me a convenient excuse to remove Goku from the fight for a while, _and_ to set the stage for the next chapter.

Stay tuned. You won't want to miss it.

Now, I'll be the first person to admit that I don't particularly like how the last half-dozen or so chapters have been going. I know they've been dragging on too long, and I accept the blame for it. However, there's not much I could do to fix it save of either cutting out entire chapters, or re-writing a not-insignificant portion of Endurance.

The basic problem is that, before I started writing this story, I made a skeletal plot, outlining 60 individual chapters, the songs they would be set to, and what basic events would happen in each. It was a scheme that had worked remarkably well with When World's Collide, and I felt I would need it in order to undertake this epic.

It worked too, for a time. There were some events that slipped through the cracks and had to be pushed into the next chapter, but all in all, everything was on track. However, when we come to the back end of the story, I severely over-estimated just how many chapters I wanted this final fight to go for. If I ever do decide to re-write this, I will be trimming 2 chapters, as a minimum, from the fight, but in my current mindset, I just want to see this story end, problems and all.

If nothing else, though, I have managed to make the fight very DBZ-ish, in that 5 minutes of real life covers about 5 separate 'episodes'...


	57. E17: The Touch

--- Disturbance, Book 3: Endurance ---

Chapter E17 - (You've Got) The Touch

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

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_-You got the touch-_

"So I guess this is it," Pi remarked sadly. Her voice betrayed no fear of death, and, truthfully, with her having died twice already there was nothing unexpected about death for her to be afraid of. Instead, there was just an almost overwhelming sadness that, despite their best efforts, they had failed to destroy Majin Buu.

"If I'm gonna die," Kaen grunted out, forcing himself to his feet, his body screaming in protest the whole way, "I'll die on my feet." On unsteady legs, he pushed past the twins, dropping into a tired stance between them and Buu, with Pi joining him soon after. He knew it was no use telling them to run; even if they ran, there was nowhere for them to escape, and even if they could escape, he knew they would never run if it meant leaving him here to die.

Vegeta, too, placed himself between his son, and the continued nightmare that was Majin Buu, as Gohan and Goku, without consciously realising it on Goku's part, did the same for Goten. Avarrdo and Kellre both joined the line as well, flanking their respective offspring. This was Saiyan Law at it's strongest: the older warriors died first, in the hopes, however slim, that the young might survive.

Gathering the last of his waning strength, Kaen spared one last fond glance for his mate, before commenting, "See you on the other side," and charging towards Buu.

_-You got the power!-_

"What are we going to do?"

"If we don't do _something_ soon, we'll lose our window to do anything!"

Quick thinking had never been her strongest talent. She had always been more about methodical planning, because the rare few times she had come to quick decisions, she had made mistakes. Now, however, she had an idea that, unless she was horribly wrong about Saiyan biology, would work perfectly.

_"I am getting impatient! Name your final wish so that I might return to my slumber!"_

Spinning around to face the ancient green dragon, Viola grinned to herself as she called out, _"Porunga! Excluding Majin Buu, I want you to heal everyone on the Planet of the Kais to full strength!"_

_-Yeah!-_

From the moment Kaen and Pi had joined this fight against Majin Buu, they had believed that they would be able to destroy Majin Buu once and for all. Even when Vegeta was taken out of the fight, and the Spirit Bomb took too long to form, they had still believed. Even now, drained of almost all their energy, they believed, deep inside, that one of their number would destroy Majin Buu, though they themselves may not be around to witness it.

And as Kaen's body was engulfed in a golden light, which faded to reveal his full Super Saiyan Three glory punch through Majin Buu heartbeats before the same golden light enveloped everyone else, they found their faith rewarded.

"What... What happened?" Goku asked in awe, his own mass of golden hair extending down his back.

"Who cares Kakarott!" Vegeta snapped back, arms folded. "What matters is that we destroy Buu once and for all!"

Eyes lighting up, Kat shot to her feet, pumping a fist in the air as she exclaimed, "Third wish!"

Stretching her newly healed limbs as she watched her mate use his restored strength to beat Buu six ways from Sunday, Pi turned to her father and asked, "So, you got a plan?"

Kellre just smirked back. "Don't I always?"

_-After all is said and done-  
-You've never walked, you've never run-  
-You're a winner-_

"Goku, Vegeta, we'll need you and my trigger-happy son to keep Majin Buu occupied," Avarrdo stated, his mouth twisting into a wry grin at mention of Kaen. "We need him so focused on the three of you he ignored the rest of us completely."

Vegeta smirked at the instructions, eager to spend some quality time beating Buu senseless, but Goku gave the older Saiyan a confused look at being excluded from the rest of the plan, so Kellre chose to explain. "Neither Vegeta nor Kaen are pure of heart enough to destroy Majin Buu, and while you _are_, if we try anything centring on you again, I believe Buu will ignore all distractions to take you out. Besides, with our three highest-level Saiyans engaging him in battle, Buu will undoubtedly believe this to be our last play."

"What's the matter Kakarott? Upset that you're not going to get to save the world again?" Vegeta sneered teasingly.

Goku just scowled at him, looking so much the Saiyan as he did so, before melting back into the Son Grin. "Nah, I've had a good run." Taking to the air, he added, "Hey Vegeta, race you," before blasting off.

With a growl at 'the clowns' head start, Vegeta raced off after him.

_-You got the moves, you know the street-  
-Break the rules, take the heat-  
-You're nobody's fool-_

"Vegeta! Goku! You decide to join in the fun?" Kaen asked, a feral grin on his face; beating up Majin Buu was just _way_ too much fun at this level.

"The old men have some sort of plan," Vegeta remarked.

"And our part, all three of us, is to keep Buu focused on us," Goku finished.

Kaen blinked once, before his grin returned. "So you're saying they've got a plan to kill this thing, and my part consists of beating seven shades of shit through Buu?" Vegeta nodded, a smirk on his face. "Alright! Now that's the kind of plan I can get behind."

Even Goku, normally the most 'human' of them, couldn't help but feel the Saiyan bloodlust flow through his veins, which, thanks to the Super Saiyan Three transformation, was stronger than ever. Smirking, the Earth-raised Saiyan turned his attention towards Buu and declared, "Let's show this monster the fury of a thrice-ascended Saiyan!"

"Best idea you've had yet Kakarott," Vegeta smirked back, green ki gathering in his hands. "Final Shine!"

_-You're at your best when the goin' gets rough-  
-You've been put to the test, but it's never enough-_

"So what was the real reason you sent my dad to battle Buu?" Gohan asked dryly; while it was quite probably true Buu would target his father again if Goku tried anything, Gohan knew that wasn't the keystone of Kellre and Avarrdo's logic.

Kellre just grinned, pleased at how quick Gohan's mind was, before replying, "There are several, too many to explain now, but the key two are his lack of variety in his techniques, and the source of his strength. While the Super Saiyan Three transformation does grant him a lot of power, it makes him a lot more Saiyan than he would willingly admit, meaning it is likely that, in that form, he is not pure of heart enough to defeat Majin Buu."

The pins sliding into place in his mind, Gohan asked rhetorically, "I'm the secret weapon here, aren't I?"

"Indeed you are. You are not only the most powerful Saiyan currently in existence, you can reach that level of strength without the use of the Super Saiyan form, meaning you are exactly as pure of heart at full strength as you are at minimum."

Looking around at the rest of the group, Gohan added, "So why didn't you send them off? What's their part in this?"

Kellre grinned again. "They are here to help you achieve your **true** potential."

_-You got the touch-  
-You got the power-  
-When all hell's breakin' loose-  
-You'll be riding the eye of the storm-_

As the raw green ki of the Final Shine streaked towards Buu, the creature's power level briefly shot back up to the level of 'Super' Buu, and it let out a wordless shout, the concussive sonic forces causing the blast to detonate prematurely. With the whistle of rushing air, Goku teleported behind Buu, a Kamehameha already prepped in one hand, which he wasted no time in launching at Buu's back. However, before it could hit, Buu's arms bent back at an unnatural angle to catch it, before the creature itself seemed to melt and reform facing the other way, it's right now it's left.

"What the hell?" Goku exclaimed, watching as his Kamehameha Wave began turning pink, the ki bleed starting at Buu's hands. Quickly cutting the flow, the twice-revived Saiyan watched as the pooled blue energy quickly corrupted into the pink of Majin Buu, before Buu threw it back at him; Goku, however, quickly teleported out of the way again.

"I think... I think I saw him doing that to the Spirit Bomb," Kaen remarked slowly. As Goku's head whipped towards him, wide-eyed, the younger-but-older Saiyan added, "When I warped behind him to slice his arms, he had pink ki gathering at his hands."

"So that's how he did it," Goku growled, spinning back towards Buu. "He corrupted the Spirit Bomb."

"And the backlash, it would seem, corrupted him," Vegeta drawled, Buu's power fluctuating rapidly as they watched.

"Let's see him corrupt this!" Goku declared, dropping into his standard Kamehameha stance, but creating a red ball of ki instead of blue. "Kaio Kamehameha!" [1]

_-You got the heart-  
-You got the motion-  
-You know that when things get too tough-  
-You got the touch-_

"What do you need us to do dad?" Kat asked her adopted father, taking the role of spokesperson for the younglings.

Turning towards the redhead, Avarrdo explained, "When I give you the signal, I need you to use your darkness to shroud us from Buu. I mean complete blackout, on both sides. If you could mask the energy readings Buu might get of in here, better, but not essential. When I signal you again, I'll need you to shield Pi and I from Gohan as well. The time to drop the shields should be obvious if this works as planned."

Kellre continued, facing his daughter and stating, "Pi, when I tell you, I need you to create a Gaia Bomb about ten feet above Gohan. You'll only have at most five minutes, and can hopefully complete in three, but it doesn't need to be ready to throw, it just needs to be fast; it's going to be used as a ki well." When she opened her mouth, most likely to ask where, exactly, she'd get this power from, he added, "There are, according to Goku, many strong fighters here in Otherworld. Start with them."

Avarrdo picked it up again, turning to the four youngsters. "Kids, I've got a very important job for you. When I tell you to, I need the four of you to link hands and form a ring around Gohan. Then, you need to power up to your maximum, and transfer as much of it as you can to Gohan. Anything you can't gift him, I need you to burn; fill the air with ki, okay?"

"And what do you need me to do?" Gohan asked.

Kellre just smiled, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "You, Gohan, I will instruct as we go, but once we succeed, I will need you to use your strongest, purest attack to obliterate Majin Buu. Now, we will probably only get one shot at this, but I have faith in you. In all of you."

"Do we all understand our roles?" Avarrdo waited until everyone there had nodded before focusing on Kat again, nodding his head once and stating, "Kat, you will start us off. From the moment the shield goes up, we'll have, if we're lucky, five to seven minutes before we won't be able to hide it from Majin Buu any longer. When you're ready Kat, begin."

"Okay," the catgirl nodded, taking a deep breath and exhaling softly before stating, "Time starts... Now!"

_-You never bend, you never break-  
-You seem to know just what it takes-  
-You're a fighter-_

All across the negaverse that was Otherworld, the call went out for help, for everyone who could to loan their energy for one final push to destroy Majin Buu once and for all. In most places of Otherworld, the people were more than happy to help. King Yemma and all the demons he could spare all raised their hand to lend their energy. The Grand Kai, the four Kais under him, and everyone on the Grand Kai's planet all did their part. Even Dende, Kibito, and the four Supreme Kais all chipped in.

There was one corner of Other World, however, that was not so generous. Known to some as the Home For Infinite Losers, and known to the majority under the simple moniker of Hell. The denizens of Hell, under rule of Frieza and Cell, who had been watching the battle so far thanks to the jumbo crystal ball the ogres had supplied, had no desire to help the 'dirty monkeys' defeat Buu.

Grinning coldly at the fight on screen, Frieza couldn't help but laugh. "When this 'plan' of their fails, those monkeys are all going to be destroyed!"

"Such a glorious day!" Cell announced from beside the tiny tyrant. "Without our help, they'll likely never gather the energy they need, and without that, their whole race is doomed!"

Back on the battlefield, Pi growled in annoyance at their non-cooperation, sending out a second message to help motivate them. Remember, if we fail, there will be over half a million Saiyans, including three at the third level of Super Saiyan, and at least two at the second, who would love nothing more than to spend the rest of eternity punishing those who let them die.

Frieza looked like he'd seen every ghost in existence at once, and even Cell paled. There was, until recently, only one thing Cell feared: an irate Gohan. Thanks to Vegeta's little foray into Hell, the Saiyan Prince found himself added to Cell's list. With Vegeta now having ascended _again_, and bringing that Kaen boy with him... Gulping, Cell's hand shot up so fast he felt his shoulder pop, and the other collected villains were no slower in adding their support.

_-It's in the blood, it's in the will-  
-It's in the mighty hands of steel-  
-When you're standin' your ground-_

When the wall of darkness came up, Kaen knew that, whatever it was the old man had planned, it has happening _now_. As the raw, unstable red beam of ki that was Goku's new Kaio Kamehameha lanced through the air towards Buu, and the monster managed to reduce the hit to a glance, he knew that using beam attacks would not distract Buu anywhere near enough to prevent it interfering in the plan. So, there was only one option left: mix it up in close range.

Grinning over at Goku, Kaen called out, "Have you learnt _nothing_ after fighting this thing? Beam attacks just don't work. You need to use something that won't miss. Like this: Phoenix Force!" Kaen's form almost exploded into flames, and an avian screech rang out as the mass of flames extended its wings, forming itself into a bird made entirely of fire. The bird itself was massive, with a wingspan roughly the length of two to three buses, and it soared majestically for a moment, leaving a trail of fire in it's wake, before folding it's wings to it's sides and diving.

Opening its beak, the phoenix let out another screech, before swallowing Buu whole. The warped creature was trapped in the flames of the phoenix for somewhere between thirty and sixty seconds, before finally managing to gather enough energy to break free of the fires. As Kaen reformed a safe distance away from the irate putty monster, Buu growled most audibly, burnt faux flesh flaking off, as if only just held together well enough to regenerate.

"Not bad, but I'll go you one better!" Goku called out, drawing back his right fist as he charged towards Buu. Golden ki gathering around the hand, Goku threw it forward as he neared Buu, shouting, "Dragon Fist!" The golden ki exploded, washing over Goku at high speed, and reshaping into a golden-scaled dragon, looking almost exactly like the dragon Shenlong summoned from Flute's dragon balls; Kaen assumed Kami and Dende's Shenron looked the same, albeit green.

With a roar, the dragon bit down on the rebuilding Buu, spiralling through the air for a few seconds, before spinning around and plummeting straight into the ground. For at least a minute, the massive snake-like body almost drilled Buu into the ground, and were it not for the fact the ground was mostly unbroken, it would've looked like it was digging itself a tunnel through the soil. Finally, the final part of the body, the massive tail, also passed through Buu (well, more accurately, forced Buu to pass through it), flicking the injured creature into the air.

_-And you never get hit when your back's to the wall-  
-Gonna fight to the end and you're takin' it all-_

"My turn, huh?" Vegeta drawled, dropping quickly to the ground, and dashing towards Buu. Charging pale blue energy in his hands, Vegeta shouted, "Juuouken!" before, like the two before him, he was consumed by ki, and replaced with a cyan spectral lion. Tearing at the ground with it's claws as it raced towards the slowly falling Buu, the lion leapt off a jacked rock to catch Buu with it's mouth, sinking it's lower fangs directly in Buu's eyes.

Before gravity could take hold, the spectral lion spun in mid air, swinging all four legs up towards Buu's main mass, digging every single claw into Buu's flesh. Growling, the lion pulled back with every limb simultaneously, as well as leaning it's head back, and, battered and burnt as it was, Buu's body could no longer stretch. The end result: the spectral lion ripped off all four of Buu's limbs, and it's head, before dropping them to the ground, and rolling to land on it's feet, becoming Vegeta once more as he landed.

"Impressive Vegeta," Kaen applauded, adding as an afterthought, "You too Goku." There was a loud, and remarkably disgusting sloshing noise as Buu pulled itself back together, and before the three defenders could react the monster was tearing ass towards the wall of darkness. "Shit! Goku, intercept!"

With a nod, Goku used his Instant Transmission to teleport ahead Buu, charging up his new technique. "Kaio Kamehameha Times Ten!" The raw red beam lanced out and caught Buu head on, slowly pushing the monster back. Gritting his teeth, Goku yelled out, "Vegeta! Kaen! Containment field!"

Following Buu with all due haste, the two Saiyans nodded, peeling off to either side, and preparing their own new techniques to pin Buu in place from three directions.

"Final Shine!"

"Ultima Cannon!"

_-You got the touch-  
-You got the power-  
-When all hell's breakin' loose-  
-You'll be riding the eye of the storm-_

Kellre nodded in satisfaction, as he watched his plan come together nicely. Approaching the three minute mark, the Gaia Bomb was nearing completion, so it was time to move on to the next stage. "Okay kids, light 'em up." The four children formed a ring (well, more of a square) around Gohan, linking hands, before flaring into Super Saiyan. "Now, I want you to close your eyes, and concentrate on sending all of your energy to Gohan. No matter what happens, do not open your eyes until I tell you to, okay?"

Standing in the centre of the ring, at his current peak in the new form granted him by the Elder Kai (which he really should think of a name for) Gohan closed his eyes, remembering the meditation he had been taught by Piccolo, and focusing on emptying his mind. At the back of his thoughts, he observed the four pulses of ki around him, sending jolts of energy into him with the regularity of a heartbeat, but this was a minor thought; a secondary concern to clearing his mind, and drawing forth his power.

His mental clock ticking over to three minutes, Avarrdo knew they no longer had any time to spare. Sharing a nod with Kellre, he gathered a ball of pale white ki in his hands, before saying to Kat, "When I release this, that will be the signal for phase two shielding, okay?"

Kat nodded, gathering the energy she needed to shield Avarrdo and Pi, and forcing herself not to gasp when Kellre just faded away. "Okay," she breathed, "I'm ready."

Hurling the baseball of white ki at the Gaia Bomb, Avarrdo echoed the twins from earlier as he shouted, "Moon! Shine down!"

_-You got the heart-  
-You got the motion-  
-You know that when things get too tough-  
-You got the touch-_

Gohan screwed his eyes up tighter; now he knew why Kellre had Kat shield Pi and Avarrdo, and why they had instructed the kids to keep their eyes closed under any circumstances. 'Was this their plan all along?' Gohan thought bemusedly to himself. 'Do they want me to go Oozaru? How is that going to help?'

"Gohan, open your eyes," Kellre instructed coolly. He had hidden himself using a little trick he invented called Folded Light, which foremost made him invisible, though he had, by accident, discovered a second useful feature; while surrounded by Folded Light, the rays of the moon could not affect him. When Gohan shook his head, Kellre stated more firmly, "Open your eyes, and stare deep into the moon above you!"

With a silent prayer that the older Saiyan knew what he was doing, Gohan forced his eyes open, his head snapping back to stare at the artificial moon above. "Feel it Gohan." Kellre's voice was like a whisper at the back of his mind, as the thrumming of his heartbeat sounded deafening in his ears. "Feel the power, the raw surge of primal energy." While the volume never increased, the words seemed to grow louder in his mind. "Feel it, feel what it means to be a true Saiyan!"

A low growl began to work its way out Gohan's throat. "Feel the power of the moon, let it fill you up. Let it not consume you, you must consume it. The stars around you grant you strength, keep you grounded, but the moon you make your own. Become the moon itself!" Without conscious thought, Gohan began floating towards the moon above, but stopped about a foot off the ground. With the mass of ki in the air, Kellre could almost see four golden threads between Gohan and the kids, keeping him 'grounded', as well as a mass of silvery threads connected to the moon above.

"Focus your power. Focus your rage. Do not let it control you." Kellre could feel the Gaia Bomb above beginning to drain into Gohan. "Become the moon. Become that which controls the ebb and flow."

_-You're fightin' fire with fire-  
-You know you got the touch-_

"Feel the fury you unleashed upon Frieza. Feel the anger that drove you to ascend. Feel the rage with which you punished Cell for his crimes. Feel your heritage Cellotto, let your Saiyan blood run like fire through you." A wordless roar escaped Gohan's lips; Kellre smiled.

"Let your Saiyan fury be free, but do not let it control you. Let the power consume your body and soul, but not your mind. Remember your human heart. Remember your human determination, your stubborn unwillingness to give up in a no-win situation. This, too, is what it means to be a Saiyan. Feel your Saiyan blood and human heart become one, a perfect blend of Saiyan instinct and human drive." The Gaia Bomb was well over half drained.

"You are the perfect warrior. Feel the best of both races mix within you into a single, perfect blend of human courage and Saiyan valour, of determination and conviction. Feed your Saiyan fury to your human spirit. You are a beacon of power, one never before seen. You are the only person who can save this universe from destruction. The only one who can save your family. The only one who can save Videl!" Gohan released another wordless roar, the last of the Gaia Bomb draining into his body, as the four candles that were the kids began to flicker.

"Release the fury of your Saiyan blood! Release the rage of your human heart! RELEASE!"

_-You're at your best when the road gets rough-  
-You've been put to the test, but it's never enough-_

With a roar of power, Gohan's form was consumed by an explosion of blinding light, completely banishing the darkness surrounding them, and forcing everyone on the planet to snap their eyes shut, lest they be permanently blinded; all, bar two: Gohan himself, and Kellre. Shielded by his barrier of Folded Light, Kellre watched in awe as Gohan changed, and felt a tear of joy slide down his cheek as he witnesses his life's work become fulfilled.

Taking a deep breath, Gohan exhaled slowly, his body still glowing with radiant light. Everything was so clear now; for years, he had been trying to resolve the differences between his human and Saiyan heritages, and now, in this single moment of clarity, everything made sense. Kellre was right. He was the most powerful being the universe had ever seen. He was the only one who could destroy Majin Buu once and for all.

And it was past time he did so.

His tail lazily swishing through the air behind him, Gohan took to the skies. Kaen, Vegeta and his father had pinned Majin Buu between them, the monster completely helpless, and had saturated the planet in ki to do so. Which suited him just fine.

_-You got the touch-  
-You got the power!-  
-Yeah!-_

"It's time Buu." He intoned coldly. Gohan would not repeat the mistakes of his past, like when he taunted and toyed with Cell. Here, now, he was going to destroy Majin Buu with maximum haste, and ensure he could never return. "You have terrorized the universe for long enough. The age of fear ends now."

Raising his hands to his forehead, one crossed over the other, Gohan willed into existence a ki ball of the purest white. "All the pain and suffering you have inflicted on this universe is about to be repaid. Give my regards to your dark master Majin Buu, if enough remains of you to pass on to the other side and see him."

The air across the entire planet began to shine like a sea of stars; a sea with a whirlpool in it, centred on Gohan, and drawing every light in, specifically to the ball of ki in his hands. Similar to his trademark attack, the Masenko, which used ambient ki for extra power, much of the strength of this new technique was not his own. The big difference, however, was that this new technique used _all_ the ki released into the air. And with the mass of energy attacks that had been used so far, coupled with the bleed-off from three Super Saiyan Threes, two Super Saiyan Twos, and half-dozen Super Saiyans, there was enough energy in the air to rival the big bang.

All of which was soon to be directed at Majin Buu.

"FINAL MASENKO!"

_-You got the touch-_

A massive wall of white ki rushed towards Majin Buu, the Mount Everest to the average ki blast's molehill. The tidal wave of pure energy was so large, the entire area between the three restraining Saiyans, bar maybe half a foot directly in front of them, was washed away. The sea of ki didn't just strike Buu, like a concussive force; it wrapped around him, dragging him under the tides. Even freed from the three powerful blasts that had held him fast before, the mass of pure ki surrounding him now was surely a worse prison.

The mass of energy extended far out from the Planet of the Kais, extending out until it reached the barrier between Otherworld and reality. There, the monster Majin Buu was trapped, caught in the centre of a torrent of pure good, as his body began to erode away. It is quite possible, as his very being was ripped apart, that Majin Buu screamed, be it in pain, or in fear, or some combination.

For all of its power, for all of it's raw, unrestrained energy, Gohan's ultimate form, and thus, his Final Masenko, only lasted for, at most, thirty seconds. Even so, as the universe was soon to know, in those thirty seconds, the terror of Majin Buu was ended. With a full ten seconds to spare, the ocean of good that was the Final Masenko eroded the link between Majin Buu and the Well of Evil, obliterating the creature entirely, and casting it's black soul back to the depths of the Well itself.

Finally, the universe could rest.

_-You got the power!-_

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Author's notes:

[1] I like to think of this as my explanation for SSJ4 Goku's red 'Kamehameha x10'. He just combined Kaio Ken and Kamehameha, and didn't pronounce anything from the 'Kaio Ken' bar the power level, in this case, x10

For the record, no, I don't plan on ever describing Gohan's ultimate form. I prefer to leave it up to the reader's imagination.


	58. E18: It's My Life

--- Disturbance, Book 3: Endurance ---

Chapter E18 - It's My Life

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_-This ain't a song for the broken-hearted-_

For the people of the Earth, the past twenty-four hours had been a roller-coaster of various emotions, from the joy of the World Martial Arts Tournament, to the fear of Babidi, and the terror of death at Majin Buu's hands. Then came the uncertainty of life anew, when they turned to their saviour for guidance, and Hercule, under Videl's guidance, had delivered. Through Hercule's words, humanity had united as one, their hopes and dreams focused towards the end of Majin Buu, as they gave everything that could to fuel the instrument of the monster's defeat.

However, since then, they had heard nothing, and the uncertainty was starting to creep back in. Each moment of continued silence was an eternity of agony; no warnings, no messages, just loneliness and fear. No one, if asked, would be able to say just how long had passed, just that each continued breath seemed like a lifetime. Each moment was one that could either see the universe freed from the horror or Bibidi's creation, or plunged into an age of death; one where they could lose it all, or win the greatest prize known to mankind.

The promise of a brighter tomorrow. And no one understood this more than Videl.

_-No silent prayer for faith-departed-_

In the space of a single day, the world Videl had known had been taken apart piece by piece. Her father was not the strongest man in the world (a fact she'd long suspected), and, in fact, there were an entire race of people who, man and woman alike, were all stronger than him; a good many of the children too. He had also not defeated Cell, but instead, that honour went to the first person she had ever truly opened her heart to since the death of her mother, Son Gohan; well, she didn't remember now whether she had yet to be expressly told Gohan had done it, what with everything that had happened today, but she was more than capable of doing the math herself.

Now, the man she loved- it was easier to say every time she said it, and made her feel warmer inside each time too. Now, he was risking his life once more, to protect the planet Earth and it's people; to protect her. She had already experienced the pain of losing him once before, even if she had refused to believe he had died, and been right to do so. She knew she was not ready to feel that pain again, would probably never be ready; that the loss would crush her. She stood now on the edge of a pit of depression that, should she fall, it was likely she would never be freed from.

It was poetic, then, that this moment of almost crushing despair was broken by the cheesy ringtone of her cell phone, the bright, happy tune that she had chosen expressly because it had reminded her of Gohan's eternal cheerfulness.

_-I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd-  
-You're gonna hear my voice when I shout it out loud-_

The people of Earth watched in silent hope as Videl, still on stage with her father, and being broadcast around the world, answered the phone in her hip pocket. No one dared blink as they watched the smile come to her face, as she mouthed the words they had been waiting what seemed an age to hear: 'It's over.' Dropping her phone where she stood, the girl raced to the microphone, a smile that surgery couldn't remove on her face, as she announced, "It's over! Majin Buu has been destroyed!"

A cheer went up around the world, one that shook the planet to its very foundations, as humanity celebrated the greatest triumph they ever had, and most likely ever would know. There were those, of course, who asked for proof; not because they wanted her to be wrong, but merely afraid she was. However, when a dark-haired man in a royal blue gi appeared out of thin air on the podium behind her, one many recognised from the World Martial Arts Tournament, and an exuberant Videl threw herself into his arms, and kissed him for all she was worth, they found all the proof they needed.

As the two teens moved off, Hercule took the podium again, and began doing what he did best: working the crowd, to arrange for the greatest party the universe had ever seen. This day, he announced, was to be a holiday, one that stretched on for a week of the celebration of life, and though he was not a world leader, nor even the world's true saviour, everyone who heard him knew that his will would be done.

Before the big man could be drawn too deeply into the mess he waded, he spared one smile for his daughter, in the arms of the man she loved, as the two vanished as suddenly as he had appeared. She was in safe hands. It was time to let her be happy.

_-It's my life-  
-It's now or never-  
-I ain't gonna live forever-  
-I just want to live while I'm alive-_

Opening her eyes as she felt the air around her stop moving, Videl gasped as she saw the massive pile of food, spread across at least three massive tables. Looking around quickly, she noticed that they were back on the Lookout, rebuilt good as new, and that they (she and Gohan) were the last to arrive. Even without looking at him, Videl could tell Gohan was grinning when he called out, "Hey Mister Popo. Did you start preparing all this the second Earth was wished back?"

The midnight black genie just smiled and nodded, replying in his regal-sounding voice, "I knew you would all be hungry once you had defeated Majin Buu." This comment got a round of semi-muffled 'Hell yeah's from the six Saiyans already stuffing their faces; Truniz and the older female Saiyans were eating also, just not as fast. Giving Videl a quick kiss on the cheek, and an apologetic look, Gohan raced over to join them; Popo's food was almost as good as his mother's, and he was **starving**.

For a good few minutes, Videl observed what Gohan would later describe as a 'normal Z-Fighter get together': the Saiyans ate, while the humans stood or sat around talking and reminiscing about days gone by. A smile on her face, the human girl moved over to join Kat, the young catgirl greeting her with a hug before drawing her into the conversation. Glancing around at the mass of people again, it suddenly struck Videl that, the way they acted, they weren't just a group of friends; they were family.

And now, she was one of them.

_-(It's my life)-  
-My heart is like an open highway-  
-Like Frankie said, "I did it my way"-  
-I just wanna live while I'm alive-  
-'Cause it's my life-_

Many a minute later, having mostly satisfied their ravening hunger, the Saiyan warriors slowed their intake to a speed that would still allow conversation, Kaen opening up the 'debriefing' discussion with, "That was some impressive display of power Gohan; I'm almost jealous. Just where did you get that strength from? You weren't holding back on me at the tournament were you?"

Gohan just shrugged slightly, moving away from the buffet for just long enough to wrap an arm around Videl's waist and bring her back with him, before replying, "Apparently, I've always had this power locked away inside. The Elder Kai managed to unlock it, and draw out about ten percent, I think he said, while Kellre helped me draw out a significant amount more." Scowling slightly, the demi-Saiyan added, "Of course, the asshat Kai only told me _after_ the fact that this upgrade would replace my Super Saiyan transformation, but I'm confident I can get it back." Grinning slightly, Gohan shot back, "Now, I could ask the same of you Kaen: where did all _your_ strength come from?"

"And where'd you get all those techniques your folks were so worried about you knowing?" Yamcha added.

"How did you know about Babidi and Majin Buu?" Another voice added, and Videl was slightly stunned to see Shin, Kibito, and two other beings similar to them, standing off to one side; had they been there the _entire_ time?

"While we're on that subject," Bulma piped up, "What was the deal with what happened at the tournament grounds?"

Kaen just held his hands up, replying, "Relax, I'll answer your questions." He grinned slightly as he added, "And fortunately, I can answer them all with a single story. It's a big long, so I'll give you the abridged version."

_-This is for the ones who stood their ground-_

Making sure everyone was listening, so he didn't have to repeat himself again, Kaen cleared his throat, beginning his tale. "About a month ago, I blew off school and headed to Vegeta's to blow off some steam." A quick glance at Vegeta signalled to the older man to keep quiet about just why he had. "While I was there, I felt something weird at the edge of my senses, so I headed back to Satan City to check things out, and found Videl almost about to be killed, by me. Well, a different me, at least."

Shrugging slightly at the occasional gasp of shock at this comment, he continued, "Turns out he was from an alternate dimension, and had been hopping between dimensions, killing that dimension's versions of Pi and I, as well as whoever got in his way, and using some device he had, which he called an Essence Collector, to amass what I guess you could call 'soul shards'; basically, imperfect copies of the souls of his victims, containing their memories, techniques, and a fraction of their power. This universe was the twenty-fifth he had visited; one of them did not contain a version of me, while five of them were missing Pi. When I destroyed the device, the soul shards he had collected all dispersed to as near as they could get to their original hosts; this dimension's versions of whoever they once were."

Blinking slightly, Gohan asked, "So, you got all this strength because you basically had more than one soul?"

Kaen just shrugged again. "Basically, though it took us a month of training to access any of it properly. Meta-physically speaking, it takes an average of four soul shards to make a complete soul, so when the tournament began, I had six 'spare' souls, but I'm down to three now, while Pi had five, but now is down to four."

"How the heck do you lose a soul?" Goku asked, a perplexed look on his face.

"I didn't," Kaen replied, "For lack of a better description, I consumed two to upgrade my maximum level; the two Super Saiyan barriers I broke."

"But what happened to the third one?"

_-For Tommy and Gina who never backed down-_

"I'm getting to that," Kaen replied wryly. "The answer to that is two-fold. First, the guy I'd killed basically booby-trapped his own soul shard, such that it would collect other shards to become whole, and, upon doing so, shunt out the soul of whoever had slain him, taking their body as his own. That plan simultaneously succeeded and failed, due to factor two: Babidi."

Turning towards Shin, he continued, "See, in one of the alternate dimensions, Babidi had come to the still-whole Saiyan planet, and thanks to Vegeta here's father, subjugated the entire Saiyan race. Having that shard inside me gave Babidi the foothold he needed to try and take me over with his magic, but with Pi's assistance, we managed to fight him off. So he upped the stakes, digging through my mind for every evil 'I' had ever committed in the twenty-five incarnations of memories I had, and bringing them all to the surface. However, he unwittingly fractured my own soul in the process, this final shard going to the near-complete trap, and twisting it so that it's original consciousness was gone, and in it's place, was Dark Phoenix, the literal embodiment of all of my sins."

"That's what that dark shimmer around you was, isn't it? Soul displacement?" Bulma asked, the metaphoric light bulb clicking on above her head.

"Pretty much," Kaen remarked, wrapping one arm around Pi's waist before adding, "Pi helped me wrest control over my body again, as well as to separate him from me completely. However, because he had a piece of my soul, he and I were still linked, until Gohan, as part of his training with the Kais, managed to sever that link, and destroy him completely."

There was a moment of silence as everyone digested that, before Krillin commented, "That's pretty cheap, getting an outside power boost like that."

"Actually," Pi piped up, "The 'spare' souls don't provide a higher level of power at all, just extra endurance, same way a spare battery would, which isn't much help at all in a tournament fight." When everyone, even Kaen, glanced at her curiously, she added, "Attaining a new level of power doesn't actually 'consume' anything; what it _does_ do, however, is break one 'soul' into pieces, and 'patch' the other souls so they're all the same strength as the original. That's why Kaen's lost two, while I've only lost one; he has more power now, but I can stay at my maximum longer than he can."

A smile on his face, Kaen shook his head slightly, commenting softly, "I keep forgetting you probably know more about this stuff than I do." Silently, he added, _'I look forward to getting to know this new you... intimately.'_

_-Tomorrow's getting harder make no mistake-  
-Luck ain't even lucky, gotta make your own breaks-_

There was a moment of contemplative silence, before Videl asked curiously, "So, what happens now?" When every one turned to face her, she shrunk down slightly, though Gohan's arm around her did reassure her enough to clarify, "I mean, you've just saved the world again, so what do you do now? Just fade into obscurity again, like the Cell Games? 'Cause I don't think that's going to work this time, thanks to the press conference you guys had me make my dad do. The world knows all about you guys now." She blinked a bit, before adding, "Or are you going to use the dragon balls to make everyone forget again?"

"It's certainly an option," Bulma remarked.

"A long-term option," Piccolo rebuffed gruffly, "We can't use the dragon balls again for another four months, and even then, we get a single wish."

"Well, I guess that means the human race has four months to try and cope with the knowledge that aliens live among them, and that not only do super-powered beings that can destroy the Earth exist, but so does a task force to stop them," Gohan remarked simply, "If, after that time, we find out that people as a whole can't handle that knowledge, we simply make them forget again."

"Let's hope they can," Kellre stated, turning to glance at the other Saiyans before continuing, "Because the Saiyan people have hid for long enough. There has never been a better time for us to integrate properly into human society, instead of segregating ourselves in our cities and townships."

Kaen groaned slightly. "Why do I foresee a lot of annoying conferences in my future?"

Avarrdo just grinned. "Well, you _are_ the Saiyan ambassador, son."

_-It's my life-  
-And it's now or never-  
-I ain't gonna live forever-  
-I just want to live while I'm alive-_

Pi sighed contentedly, resting her head against her mate's chest as the two reclined back on the fancy couch. The older Saiyans, along with Chichi and Bulma, had started discussing what the Saiyan Nation was going to do now, so the four teenagers had decided to retire inside the palace; Kat had taken off back to Satan City, after Avarrdo had informed her that Leo, his family, and all of Kaen's friends had been 'ported back home again.

Sitting across from the Saiyan couple, Gohan and Videl were in much the same position, though Videl looked decidedly more embarrassed about it than Pi herself was. 'Must be a human thing,' the Saiyan girl mused to herself, satisfied with her logic; sure, she herself had been a bit embarrassed about the subject when she was younger, but that was before she accepted that Kaen was to be her mate, and mated Saiyans had nothing to be embarrassed about. Now there was a thought. 'Or maybe it's just because they haven't consummated yet.'

Her thoughts, and the peaceful quiet that had fallen over the four teens, were interrupted by Gohan asking curiously, "Hey Kaen, I just remembered that you never got around to telling me where you got the energy for that Terra Destroyer technique, or how you phased through the ground."

The older Saiyan smiled in fond remembrance, before explaining, "They were my older brother's techniques. He developed them to suit our old role of 'planetary recyclers'. Both the Terra Destroyer and Earth Meld techniques draw on the heat energy of the planet itself."

"So why can't you use them too often?" Gohan queried. "I remember you saying you couldn't do it too often."

"It's simple," Kaen replied, "If I drain away too much of the planet's heat, the core cools. That causes the mantle to slow, and eventually stop. The chain reaction leads to the atmosphere of the planet dispersing, and if the lack of air doesn't kill the populace, the unfiltered sunlight soon turns the planet into a barren wasteland, ripe for terraforming."

_-(It's my life)-  
-My heart is like an open highway-  
-Like Frankie said, "I did it my way"-  
-I just wanna live while I'm alive-  
-'Cause it's my life-_

"If it's that dangerous to the planet, why would you want to use it at all?" Videl asked, feeling slightly more comfortable about essentially sitting in Gohan's lap now that she had something else to focus on.

"It's an extremely powerful attack that requires almost no energy from the user, and can be prepared in a minimal amount of time," Pi remarked; while she'd never use the Terra Destroyer technique herself, she understood the principles behind it perfectly. "Besides, as long as you don't use it too often, the planet can recover in minutes."

"Hey Pi, can I ask you a question?"

"You already did 'Del, but sure," Pi grinned.

Rolling her eyes good-naturedly, Videl asked, "That Fusion Technique of yours; can you really stay fused for as long as you want?"

The Saiyan couple burst out laughing, Pi choking back her mirth long enough to reply, "Oh Kami no. That was just to psych Buu out. The Fusion Dance lasts half an hour, no longer."

"But what about the twins?" Gohan asked. "Dad told me that they could stay fused for an hour."

Still chuckling slightly, Kaen commented offhandedly, "The twins are an exception. They're... a special case."

A powerful blush beginning to slowly absorb her face, Videl's voice dropped to a whisper that, were it not for their enhanced hearing they would have missed, as she asked, "What... What does it feel like?"

Grinning at each other, the Saiyan couple realised there were any number of 'whats' she could be asking about, so they decided to start with the least traumatising and work their way up. "Well 'Del, it's something like this..."

_-You better stand tall when they're calling you out-  
-Don't bend, don't break, baby don't back down-_

"Hey Goku, what happened back there with the Spirit Bomb?" Krillen asked, eyeing the gorging Saiyan with practiced disinterest; Goku and Vegeta were the only adult Saiyans still at the massive buffet, though the four kids had come out of wherever they'd been and joined in the feast. When his oldest friend gave him a quizzical look, Krillen clarified, "I mean, we could all see more or less what was happening, but all we saw was the Spirit Bomb exploding, then Buu coming back, so what happened? For that matter, why'd it take so long to form at all? It didn't take you that long to make the one you squashed Frieza with."

Pausing in his feast to answer the formerly-bald man, Goku replied, "I dunno really Krill. A number of factors, maybe, like Otherworld having different rules from this one, the distance from Earth, the sheer volume of energy. And having the massive pit of Evil there wouldn't have helped either. As to what happened to it..." Goku frowned slightly, before continuing, "Well, I saw Buu catch one of my Kamehameha Waves, and corrupt the energy of it, so I guess he must've been doing that to the Spirit Bomb when we hit him with it."

Vegeta eyes Goku with a semi-heated glare; were he not eating, he would've called bullshit on Kakarott's explanation. He knew _exactly_ what had happened - the boy had **told** them as much - but Kakarott was keeping that to himself. With a shrug, he put it out of his mind; if the clown wanted to act foolish, it was hardly _his_ problem.

Vegeta's train of thought was derailed when he heard Kakarott call out, "Hey Vegeta, what was that attack you used? That Juu-something technique."

"Juu-Ou-Ken," Vegeta drawled, making sure to draw out every syllable.

Goku just nodded, completely ignoring the prince's tone, "Yeah, that one. What's that mean anyway?"

"Oooh! I know!" Goten declared excitedly, "It means.... uh... Beast.. King.. Fist.. Yeah, that's it. Beast King Fist."

Trunks rolled his eyes. "If you say it literally yeah, but if you say it _properly_ it means Fist of the Beast King."

"Goten knows the Saiyan language?" Goku blinked, feeling decidedly foolish about his youngest son knowing more about his heritage than he himself did.

"Of course he does," Vegeta scoffed, "I taught him myself."

Scratching his head, Goku asked, "Could you teach me?" Vegeta's eye visibly twitched, and Goku didn't know whether the laughter that followed was hysterical, or malevolent, but neither way boded well for him...

_-It's my life-  
-And it's now or never-  
-'Cause I ain't gonna live forever-  
-I just want to live while I'm alive-_

"Niichan, Neechan, dad said you wanted to talk to us?"

"That's right Lime, come in you two," Pi replied with a smile, removing herself from Kaen's lap and hopping to her feet; the Saiyan couple had moved to a separate room, both so they could have this talk with the kids, and to give Gohan and Videl some much-needed alone time.

Casting his gaze over to his little brother as he stood up, Kaen remarked, "Firstly, Pi and I wanted to congratulate the both of you on doing such a good job today. Not only did you both keep your head, despite the terror around you, but you managed to exceed your previous limitations, learnt new abilities, and most importantly, fought as a team, rather than as two parts of a single fighter, like you did when we first saw you. I speak for both Pi and myself when I say, we're proud of you both."

As the twins swelled up with pride, Pi knelt down in front of them, taking a good few moments to look them both in the eyes, before adding, "With your new strength, however, comes a change in routine. Until now, we've mostly left you both to your own devices, but now that you're proven warriors, it's time to take things seriously."

"Which is why, Oran, starting right now, you are now my primary student," Kaen stated.

Before Lime could protest, Pi continued, "And Lime, you are mine. With Kaen no longer my sensei, it's time for me to take up a student of my own."

"Th-thank you sensei!" The twins exclaimed excitedly, Lime giving Pi a big hug, while Oran and Kaen shared a respectful bow.

"Your first, and most important lesson begins right now," Kaen stated seriously, placing a hand on his little brother's shoulder. "Hanging up the sword." When the two kids gave him a clueless look, he clarified, "When the battle is over, the warrior must hang up his sword and return to a life of normalcy, only picking it up again to keep his skills honed. And this is something that neither of you has yet to do."

"But... We don't know how!" Oran remarked, with an almost frantic defence.

"I know," Kaen replied softly. "You grew up in war time, and were forced to skip your childhood to take up arms, but you're not alone. Do you think Pi and I knew how to be 'normal' when we got to this planet? Even now, we're still learning, and still trying to find our place in this world."

A smile on her face, Pi added, "And we'll help you find yours." Giving Lime a reassuring smile, the older girl asked, "How would the two of you feel about starting school?"

_-(It's my life)-  
-My heart is like an open highway-  
-Like Frankie said, "I did it my way"-  
-I just want to live while I'm alive-_

Running a hand through the short hair of the girl he loved, while she rested against his chest, Gohan mused to himself that he would really have to thank Kaen and Pi for giving him some time alone with Videl. Sure, he knew he was in for a world of teasing when he saw Krillen next, but for now, he had earned his quality time. Shifting slightly, Gohan realised with a start that the thing he could feel digging into his back was his sword scabbard, so, silently vowing to himself to ask Kaen and Pi how they could stand to keep theirs on all the time, he reached a hand up to unclip it, setting the sword on the ground before him.

Tilting her head up to give him a curious look, Videl asked, "Where did you get the sword from anyway Gohan?"

Gohan just shrugged slightly, giving her a cheeky grin and a quick scratch under the chin, before returning to running his fingers through her hair. "Shin had me fetch it, thinking it could defeat Buu. Why?"

"Because, Son Gohan," she replied, giving him a mock-stern glare, "You promised to tell me, and I quote, 'everything I wanted to know' after the tournament."

"So I did," he remarked casually, "Well, if you must know, it was embedded in this massive stone pillar, with some sort of legend around the person who would free it becoming super-powerful, like that old myth about Excalibur. Turned out, though, that this Elder Kai was trapped inside it who could unlock power, and the sword itself was, as far as I could tell, just a good quality sword." Wrapping his tail around her waist, he asked, "Was there anything else you wanted to know?"

The human girl put a hand to her chin in thought. "Well, lemme clear up what I know first, and we'll see. First, you're Saiyaman. Second, your father is of an alien race known as Saiyans, making you half Saiyan, and explaining the name Saiyaman. Third, you defeated Cell."

"Wait, did I tell you I beat Cell?" Gohan interrupted curiously.

Videl shook her head, smiling slightly. "No, I just connected the dots. Why, was I wrong?" Gohan gave her a tiny shrug and a shake of his head. "Okay. Uh... Fourth, you defeated Majin Buu. And finally, the most important point, you're in love with me." Grinning up at him, she asked, "That about cover everything?"

"Most of the important stuff," Gohan grinned back, leaning down to steal a kiss off the girl (not that she objected) before adding, "But, I haven't yet told you of life before Cell, have I?"

"No time like the present is there!" Videl declared, getting herself comfortable again against Gohan.

The demi-Saiyan teen smiled. "If you insist. Well, it all started when I was around four years old..."

_-(It's my life!)-  
-And it's now or never-  
-I ain't gonna live forever-  
-I just want to live while I'm alive-_

"So where have you two been huh?" Krillen asked with a grin, "Did you-"

"Krillen," Gohan sighed in annoyance, "You are one of my oldest friends, but I have had a long, trying two days, do if you don't lay off about my personal life, I swear on all that was or ever will be that I will use my new sword to shave you bald."

"I hear that," Truniz called out, the 'counsel' having separated, at least temporarily, "I dunno about you ladies, but I think it past time I got blind drunk."

"That, brother, is the best idea I have heard all day," Kellre remarked, with complete seriousness.

"Well," Kaen added, snapping his phone shut, "The guys just told me that they need me down at the club, so you're all welcome to come with."

"So, this is it then?" Videl asked in a confused tone. "You guys save the world, if not the universe, from complete annihilation, and then just slip back into your normal lives? How can you just... I mean, doesn't this sort of thing leave any lasting impression at all?"

"Of course it does Videl," Goku replied, in a rare moment in insight. "Every fight leaves it's mark, but you can either dwell on the past, and agonise over everything you could have done better if given another chance, or you can move on with your life, put the past behind you, and work to make sure it never happens again." Smiling in his usual cheerful manor, he added, "Just because we don't bask in our victories doesn't mean they mean nothing to us."

"Wow Goku, that's surprisingly deep," Bulma remarked.

Goku just grinned again. "I've had plenty of time to think these past seven years."

"Bah, enough of your sentimentality Kakarott," Vegeta sneered, pushing past the younger warrior.

"We've got a lot to celebrate this time, don't we?" Chichi asked rhetorically

Raene smiled. "Then we'd best get started right away, hadn't we?"

_-(It's my life)-  
-My heart is like an open highway-  
-Like Frankie said, "I did it my way"-  
-I just want to live while I'm alive-  
-'Cause it's my life!-_

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Author's notes:

I've been sitting on this chapter for a while, because it didn't feel complete enough to post on it's own.


	59. E19: This Afternoon

--- Disturbance, Book 3: Endurance ---

Chapter E19 - This Afternoon

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_-Looking like another Bob Marley day-  
-Hitting from the bong like a diesel train-  
-And I'm down with hanging out this afternoon-_

The party had continued late into the night, and there was no doubt that it would continue on until morning, and all through the rest of the week. Both the media and the politicians alike had yet to settle on a name for the celebration - using the words 'D-Day' or 'Armageddon' felt like shedding too negative a light on it - but it went without question that the week-long celebration Hercule had announced would become an annual tradition, probably with it's own festival, or a parade, or something; again, the specifics had yet to be worked out, but this year, everyone was too busy celebrating life to care too much about any specific festivities.

People the world over, regardless or race, creed, or any of the other hundreds of factors that segregated them, were united as one in celebration, if only for this week. This was never truer than in Satan City, the hometown of the celebration's founder. And in one little corner of the city, in a place many called home, but most called Club Chaos, they partied harder than most, as they were host to the new world saviours themselves.

Kaen felt a grin come to his face as he gazed across the club from his place on stage, holding his guitar to one side as the song ended. The club sure had changed a lot in the month since he'd last been here. 'Seems the ol' buzzard finally bought out that old gym.' The club itself had been relocated to the large, previously empty building next door, so the new club was no less than four times the size it had been, with a dedicated most pit (an actual pit, shallow though it was) and the usual booths on the raised platform around, and the bar at the very back. There was also an upstairs area which was currently closed off; he also had no idea what the old club building was being used for now.

_-We got weeds in the backyard, four feet tall-  
-Cheech and Chong probably would have smoked them all-  
-So I'm out on the couch this afternoon-_

Gripping the microphone with his tail like he always did, he waited for the roar of the crowd to subside slightly before speaking. "You like that one huh?" The crowd roared their approval again. "You guys miss me?" Another roar, louder than before. "It was a long month wasn't it? Well, I missed you guys too. For all the new faces, and those just joining us, I'd like to welcome you to the House of Chaos. In honour of the first 'I Survived The End Of The World' Celebration, we're playing the 'Top Ten Songs to Armageddon to', and we've got an old favourite for you up next. Hit it!"

Eagle started off, making good work of the pedals at his feet to make his bass sing, a slow build-up that sounded almost like a musical version of an engine that wouldn't start. Falcon and her keyboard were next, overlaying Hawk's tune with the sound of synthesised trumpets, building to a crescendo. The crowd began to cheer, many recognizing the song, Condor joining in on the drums as the tempo reached it's peak, followed by Kaen and Hawk, each on the guitar, the song building to another peak, and fading away moments before the lyrics started.

"We're leaving together, but still it's farewell." Kaen's voice echoed throughout the club, with the help of a little personal reverb. "And maybe we'll come back, to Earth, who can tell? I guess there is no one to blame, we're leaving ground. Will things ever be the same again?" He threw up one hand, and, with one voice, he and much of the audience shouted, "It's the final countdown!" The keyboard synth resumed, the faux trumpets building to peak again, as the crowd cheered their approval.

After a short moment, the song slowed once more, the chorus riff over, as Kaen started singing again. "Oooh, we're heading for Venus, and still we stand tall, 'cause maybe they've seen us, and welcome us all, yeah. With so many light years to go, and things to be found, I'm sure that we'll all miss her so. It's the final countdown!" The chorus riff played once more, building up to it's peak again, but this time, when it hit peak, a rapid drumbeat preceded Kaen and Hawk's duelling guitar solo.

_-Beer bottles laying on the kitchen floor-  
-If we take them out back we can buy some more-  
-So I doubt we'll go without this afternoon-_

"Boy sure knows how to work a room, I'll give him that," Avarrdo remarked, leaning back against the bar, drink in hand, "But it's still a bit hard to believe that he does this for fun, having watched him grow up as he did."

"You don't approve?" Vulture, owner, operator, and head bartender of Club Chaos remarked from nearby, drying a glass with the towel he kept with him at all times.

Avarrdo barked a laugh, grinning slightly as he replied, "I lost the right to approve or disapprove _anything_ Kaen does or does not a long time ago." The mirth was forced, and the awkward silence that followed as the Saiyan took a swig from his drink proved it. "The twins too I suppose, but Kaen especially. I had focused most of what attention I could spare away from my work on his older brother, and by the time it truly clicked that I had a second child, he didn't need me; he raised himself."

The grizzled bartender paused. "Phoenix has an _older_ brother?"

"Had," Avarrdo replied with a sad shake of his head. "Korin was killed in combat when Kaen was five. He... took it hard. If he hadn't had Pi, I shudder to think what would have become of him." He smiled again. "And look at him now. A seasoned warrior, a legend to his people, and a rock star to everyone else." The old Saiyan barked another laugh, though this one had more honest mirth in it. "And here I was, worried that he wouldn't be able to fit in here on Earth."

Vulture grinned slightly, remarking, "I wouldn't say he 'fits in', so much as he found one of the perfect ways to stand out."

"Eh," Avarrdo shrugged, "Six of one, half a dozen of the other."

_-You better hang on if you're tagging along-  
-'Cause we'll be doing this 'til six in the morning-  
-Nothing wrong with going all night long-  
-Tough to put the brakes on doesn't matter when you got to-_

Even as the final notes of the previous song still hung in the air, Kaen grasped the microphone properly in one hand, using the other to wipe sweat from his forehead as he declared, "And now we come to the business end of tonight's proceedings: number two. Fairly new song this, new enough that I only just learned it myself tonight, especially for you guys. One of the best new songs I've heard from the past month, and I think you'll agree."

The lights around the bar dimmed as one, leaving only a band of dim blue lights lining the stage, and the scattered lights around the bar, to prevent total darkness. The drums and bass started first, almost together, and there may have been a hint of Falcon's keyboard work too, because it sounded the world like they were playing in a cave; a metal cave at that. The notion was reinforced as they were quickly followed by the lead and rhythm guitars, which, together, sounded like someone singing in some ancient, lost language, echoing around the club.

After about twenty seconds, the speed of the song picked up, though the beat remained the same. What was different, however, was that as the tempo picked up, the floodlights that lit up the stage began strobing. No light was on long enough to get more than a quick glimpse of any of the band, and there was no obvious pattern to which light strobed on next, save that no band member was lit up by two sequential lights. The intro lasted for just over thirty seconds, before all bar the bass, and occasional drumbeat, faded as Kaen began singing, providing his own reverb.

"I remembered black skies, the lightning all around me. I remembered each flash, as time began to blur. Light a startling sign, that fate had finally found me... And your voice was all I heard. That I get what I deserve." A sudden flash, like a strike of lightning, lit the Saiyan singer, as he broke into the chorus, the rest of the instruments resuming. "So give me reason! To prove me wrong, to wash this memory clean. Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes! Give me reason! To fill this whole, connect the space between. Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies... Across this new divide!"

_-Get up, go out-  
-Me and all my friends-  
-Drink up, fall down-  
-Then we'll do it all again-  
-Just sitting around, hanging out this afternoon-_

After about ten seconds of instrumental, they, and the lights, faded once more to just the bass giving beat, and the drums providing tempo, accompanied by strobes of light, and the next verse began. "There was nothing in sight, but memories left abandoned. There was nowhere to hide, the ashes fell like snow. And the ground caved in, between where we were standing. And your voice was all I heard. That I get what I deserve!"

Another flash lit the band proper this time, the chorus instrumental resuming. "So give me reason! To prove me wrong, to wash this memory clean. Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes! Across this new divide!" All the lights faded bar the spotlight on Hawk, as the dusty-haired human began his guitar solo, the riff sounding the world like a DJ letting lose, with occasional input from Condor's drums.

As the usual tune resumed, so too did the lyrics. "In every loss, in every lie, in every truth that you'd deny. And each regret, and each goodbye, was a mistake too great to hide. And your voice was all I heard! That I get what I deserve!" The music faded to just bass, as the lyrics continued. "So give me reason! To prove me wrong, to wash this memory clean. Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes!" The tune picked up once more, and even those who had never heard the song before knew it was building to its climax. "Give me reason! To fill this hole, connect the space between. Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies... Across this new divide!" The last line seemed to hang, almost visible in the air, repeated twice before the song began to fade for the final time, and the cheers began to rise.

_-Landlord says I should buy a tent-  
-But he can kiss my ass 'cause I paid the rent-  
-So I doubt, he'll kick me out this afternoon-_

"So, what do you think Kakarott?" Vegeta sneered around his drink.

Goku, for his part, looked like he wanted to hold his hands over his ears, but was being too polite too. "It's loud..." he replied with a half-shrug.

Vegeta just snorted. "What kind of Saiyan are you? Can't appreciate good traditional music. "Okay, technically, rock/metal wasn't traditional Saiyan music, as the closest thing Saiyans _had_ to 'traditional' music would've been war drums, but Kakarott didn't need to know that. Finding out that his youngest son knew more about Saiyan culture than he did had revealed a big red 'Insecurity' button, and Vegeta was deriving much enjoyment from pressing that button as often as possible. Oh, sure, he fully intended to teach Kakarott Saiyan culture, but he was going to have his fun first. And during. And probably after as well.

Vegeta just liked riffing Goku. 'Nuff said, really.

"I bet you can't handle your liquor either can you?" Vegeta continued, quirking an eyebrow as he asked, "Have you ever even _had_ liquor?"

Goku scratched his head slightly. "Uh... I think we had wine at our wedding..." Vegeta erupted into amused laughter, and Goku could feel his pride burning. Fire in his eyes, the younger Saiyan spat, "Well, I bet I could out-drink you any day!"

Vegeta's eyes narrowed, as he too felt the hit to his pride. "Oh that's it Kakarott!" He growled, with much venom. "I was going to be civil, but as these humans say, it's ON now!"

As the womenfolk nearby, consisting of Chichi, Bulma, Raene, April, and Cherri, watched Truniz, Kellre, and Avarrdo be drawn into the drinking contest, the same thought drifted through their heads; Chichi, however, was the only one to vocalise it, rolling her eyes and remarking, "Such boys."

_-Down on the corner in a seedy bar-  
-Jukebox cranking out to CCR-  
-Had a few to Susie Q this afternoon-_

Pi loved to watch Kaen perform. Okay, so perhaps the music he played had taken a while to grow on her, and perhaps there were still a few songs in his repertoire she wasn't too fond of, but she loved watching him perform them anyway. To her, his performances weren't about the music at all; that was just a usually pleasant side effect. No, Pi loved watching Kaen perform for one reason, and one reason alone: when he played, he opened up.

Ever since they had been kids, Kaen had been very closed off, emotionally. His brother's death only made a bad situation worse, as Kaen drove himself harder to become the emotionless killer he felt he needed to be. By the time she'd caught up with him again after his failed first mission, she was more than a little afraid that his heart had actually died, but the more time he spent around her, the more reassured she felt that she could 'bring him back', as it were.

When they had found their families again, her hopes swelled once more as she saw him with Oran and Lime, possibly the only people bar her he would ever admit loving at the time. But when she had seen Kaen perform that first time, part of her inside had wept tears of joy. She'd realised then what she'd known deep inside all along: Kaen would never be an open, sharing sort of person. But here, within these walls, he was willing to let down the barriers around his heart, and let people he didn't even know see a side of him he had never before shown anyone outside his family; hell, she'd be surprised if his parents had even seen that side of him before.

As she watched him set his guitar aside, shucking his shirt as he prepared for the final song, her mind drifted back to an earlier conversation of theirs today, where the topic had drifted to their future. Pi herself had expressed an interest in attending university, then most likely joining her father's research. Kaen however had said, straight off, that he didn't want to make his music into a career; he did it to unwind, nothing more. When she'd pressed him about what he _did_ want to make his career, he'd just laughed, shrugged, and replied flippantly that he'd know when he found it.

She left her musing as she heard Kaen speaking once more, his voice still echoing slightly across the now-huge club. "Well, ladies, gents, boys, girls, and everything in between, here we are at last, the number one song. This is one of my personal favourites, and anyone who knows me will see why soon enough. Before we start this, our final song for the night, I'd just like to wish everyone a happy D-Day Festival, and let's hope we have countless more to come." Leaving his guitar where it lay as he pulled the mike off the stand and strode up to the edge of the platform, he added, "And now, without further ado, the Number One Song to Armageddon To."

_-You better hang on if you're tagging along-  
-'Cause we'll be doing this 'til six in the morning-  
-Nothing wrong with going all night long-  
-Tough to put the brakes on doesn't matter when you got to-_

Hooking his tail around the low railing the stage lights were fixed to, he tapped his foot four times, seemingly setting the pace, as Hawk began the opening guitar riff, followed by Condor's snare drum, keeping to the exact same pace; the best way Pi could think of to describe the song was 'jumping'. Even when Condor began using the rest of the kit, and Eagle joined in on his bass, the song kept to that 'jumping' pace.

A satisfied smirk on his face, Kaen turned back to face the crowd, leaning over the pit slightly as he began singing. "Well it's midnight, damn right, we're wound up too tight. I got a fistful of whiskey, the bottle just bit me. Ooooooohhhhh, that shit make me bat-shit crazy. We got no fear, no doubt, all in balls out." Taking a deep breath, Kaen pumped one fist in the air, shouting, "We're going off tonight!" He was met by a cheer from the crowd, punctuating every line; they, it seemed, liked this song as much as he did. "To kick out every light. Take anything we want. Drink everything in sight. We'll go until the world stops turning while we burn it to the ground tonight!"

Even as Kaen leaned back slightly, relaxing after the chorus, his foot never stopped tapping to the beat. "We're screaming like demons, swingin' from the ceiling. I got a fist full of fifties, tequila just hit me. Ooooooohhhhh, we got no class, no taste, no shirt, and shit face. We got 'em lined up, shot down, firing back straight crown." He leaned out over the crowd again, thrusting his fist in the air to punctuate each sentence, along with a cheer from those in the mosh pit. "We're going off tonight! To kick out every light. Take anything we want. Drink everything in sight. We'll go until the world stops turning while we burn it to the ground tonight!"

_-Get up, go out-  
-Me and all my friends-  
-Drink up, fall down-  
-Then we'll do it all again-_

The instrumental riff changed slightly, seemingly switching from 'jumping' to 'swinging', or perhaps 'cruising' was a better word, as it built up slowly to something of a peak. At it's apex, however, there was a sudden, loud explosion, as showers of sparks erupted along either side of the stage, and the club was plunged into darkness, all sound stopped. It was only when Kaen gave out a deep, villainous laugh that people realised it was just pyrotechnics. As the lights came back on, the band resumed, with that same 'swinging' pace as before; for some reason, Pi felt like Kaen should be snapping his fingers rather than tapping his foot to the beat.

The last member of the band to be re-lit was Kaen, who had a massive smirk on his face, as the final verse began. "Tickin' like a time bomb, drinkin' 'til the night's gone. Get your hands off this glass, last call my ass. Weeeellll, no chains, no lock, and this train won't stop. Ooooooohhhhh, we got no fear, no doubt, all in balls out!" The moss pit wound itself to a frenzy as the chorus began for the final time, again cheering each phrase almost like a Pavlovian response. "We're going off tonight. To kick out every light. Take anything we want. Drink everything in sight. We'll go until the world stops turning while we burn it to the ground tonight."

The frenzy built higher, the song building up to its final peak. "We're going off tonight! To kick out every light! Take anything we want! Drink everything in sight! We'll go until the world stops turning while we burn it to the ground tonight!" As the song drew to a close, Kaen stood upright again, backing back further on to the stage as he cried out, "Thank you all, you've been wonderful. Enjoy the rest of the festival, and until next time, stay safe and party hard. See ya!"

_-Yeah, we get up, we go out-  
-Me and all my friends-  
-Drink up, fall down-  
-Then we'll do it all again-  
-Just sitting around, hanging out this afternoon-_

"You were great tonight Kaen," Pi remarked, greeting him with a hug and kiss when he came out from back stage.

Kissing her back for a good minute before pulling away, he grinned at her, replying, "You say that like I'm not great _every_ night." Pi just rolled her eyes in an exaggerated manner, grinning back at him.

"It's great to have you back man," Hawk commented, offering his friend a drink, which the Saiyan politely refused; he wasn't going to have any alcohol tonight. "I mean, yeah, it's been great being the de facto leader of the gang again, but... It's just way too quiet without you Phoenix."

"Speaking of which, I love what you've done with the place," Pi remarked, glancing around at the newly-enlargened club. "Vulture finally caved and decided to buy the old gym did he?"

There was a moment of awkward science from the gang, before Falcon replied slowly, "Uh, Vulture never expanded the club. We found it like this after the Earth was rebuilt. We thought-"

Abruptly, Kaen burst out laughing, actually having to wipe a tear of mirth from his eye as he remarked, "Oh, so that's what that was." At their questioning look, he explained, "I could feel this presence at the back of my head when I was explaining the wishes to Flute. He must've scanned my mind, and made a few... modifications."

_-Don't want a wristwatch or an alarm clock to see what time it ends-  
-From the moment I wake up I just love being with my friends-  
-We barely get by, but have the best times, and hope it never ends-  
-We drink all day until we fall down, so we can do it all again-_

"Hey," Kat asked suddenly, half-sitting on one of the bar stools, "What did you guys do for entertainment this past month without Kaen around?"

"Oh, all sorts of things," Eagle replied, practically bouncing on the spot as he spoke. "Hired a DJ to handle some nights, played our live recordings others. Once a week we'd perform what we called a 'Live Practice', playing up on stage with who we had. Rest of the time, Vulture just set up the karaoke machine and let them entertain themselves. Our regulars knew the band couldn't perform, so there weren't nearly as many complaints as we first thought there'd be."

"Wait wait wait," Kat remarked, a curious look on her face. "Did you say 'karaoke'?" When the humans nodded slowly, the catgirl exclaimed excitedly, "Oh, I've always wanted to try that. Can you guys set it up?" She glanced around the group, before finally settling on Condor; it was his family's club after all. Her eyes actually seemed to grow, crowding her face, with traces of tears in the corners as she said, in possibly the most pleading voice in history, "Please?"

Not surprisingly, the group quickly caved, with Condor and Oz heading off to set everything up. Videl, watching from nearby, had to admit she was impressed; after a display like that, she doubted ever Vegeta, with all she'd heard about him, could say no to her. That said, she was insatiably curious as to how she did it, so she moved up to the girl and whispered in her ear, "How'd you make your eyes that... anime-cute?"

Kat just giggled slightly, whispering back, "I'm a shape shifter, remember?"

_-It's not the human walk, it's the human race-  
-I feel we're living on the edge and taking too much space-  
-So I'll doubt I'll figure out just what to do-  
-About to kick it around, hanging out this afternoon-_

"Hey runt, come over here!" With an annoyed eye roll, Kaen headed over to see what his uncle wanted, and found the three older Saiyans, along with the two physical older, but chronologically younger Saiyans, seated around a table, with three shot glasses in front of each man, along with roughly a dozen of oosquai bottles scattered across the table, several of them already empty. "Siddown boy, pull up a drink."

"Sorry uncle, not tonight," Kaen replied with a half-grin, as he turned away slightly to leave.

"Whassamata boy?" His father slurred, "You too good to drink with yer old man?"

"Or are ya too busy playin' rock star with the girls?" Vegeta added.

Kaen sighed, hanging his head, before turning back to the older men and explaining, "Look, let me say it this way: Pi and I have been separated for two weeks, and, for the two weeks before that, did nothing but training. Now, we have the next week with no obligations. I'm sure you can fill in the blanks yourself."

Were they human instead of Saiyan, no doubt Truniz and Kellre would have been quite upset and/or offended at the implications of his words. However, being Saiyans with mates of their own, the brother's smirked slightly, Truniz remarking, "So, we should not expect to see you for the next week?"

Kaen smirked back, replying, "Let's just say, don't call us, we'll call you."

_-You better hang on if you're tagging along-  
-'Cause we'll be doing this 'til six in the morning-  
-Nothing wrong with going all night long-  
-Tough to put the brakes on, doesn't matter when you got to-_

"She's pretty good isn't she?" Kaen remarked quietly, causing the blue-haired teen seated nearby to jump, turning away from watching Kat sing to face her brother. The Saiyan had a gentle smile on his face, his eyes on his adopted sister, as he added, "I can't say I've ever heard her sing with her own voice though; she adjusts her vocal chords to sound like whoever's song she's singing." When Leo failed to respond, he asked, "So, how are things between you two? You and I, we've never really had time to talk."

Leo smiled back, though it was a little shaky. "Is this where you give me the trademark 'big brother' speech?"

"No," Kaen replied with a slight shrug, "All I was going to tell you was that she looks a lot happier now. She's had something of a traumatic past, and she deserves to be happy. So, as long as you continue making her happy, I don't especially care what you get up to. One thing to keep in mind, though: break her heart, and I'll break your legs. And maybe a few more things." Before the other teen could respond Kaen strode off, dropping into the seat next to Pi and wrapping one arm around her.

Pi, in response, shifted closer towards him, resting her head against his shoulder and sighing happily. A slight mischievous smile on her face, the Saiyan girl whispered, "How long do you think it'll be before no one'll notice us leaving?"

Kaen grinned back, replying, "After we get Videl, Gohan and Leo up on that stage at least once, we're leaving."

Applauding as Kat's song finished, Pi remarked, "I'll drag 'Del up there after my go if I have to. I leave it to you to get the other boys up there." Extricating herself from Kaen's grasp as Kat moved offstage, she headed up to take her place on stage, cycling through the available songs before quickly settling on one she liked, though was honestly surprised to see on the machine, given it's owners. Smiling softly as the laid-back music began to play, Pi waited for her cue, before singing, "In you and I, there's a new land. Angel's in flight. My sanctuary, my sanctuary, yeah. Where fears and lies, melt away. Music inside. What's left of me, what's left of me now."

As he watched her sing, Kaen knew she hadn't chosen this song just because she liked the way it sounded; she chose it for the message the words conveyed: that, from now on, she would be open and honest with him, and that she wanted him to do the same. Kaen simply smiled to himself, as, subconsciously, he sent out an image of the two lying in each other's arms across the bond; after all they had been through in recent times, it was the least he could do.

_-Get up, go out-  
-Me and all my friends-  
-Drink up, fall down-  
-Then we'll do it all again-_

As Pi's song wound down to much applause, the Saiyan girl smiled down at Videl as she called out, "Come on Videl, your go." The human girl instantly started shaking her head, so Kat, a smirk on her face, used her shadow powers to shove the girl towards the stage, leaving her no choice. With a sullen frown, Videl realised she wasn't going to get out of this, so she strode over to Pi, who was still standing near the microphone. Flicking it off quickly, Pi whispered reassuringly, "Trust me Videl, I found one I think you'll love. Plus, you want to show off for Gohan don't you?"

Rolling her eyes, Videl had a look at the song her friend had selected, feeling a smile tug at her lips as she read the lyrics, before nodding slightly. With a smile, Pi turned the mike back on, setting things up for Videl before heading off stage. Videl took a deep breath to calm her nerves, before the music began to play, and she began to sing. "When you walk away, you don't hear me say 'please, oh baby, don't go'. Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight. It's hard to let it go."

Looking over at the crowd, and locking eyes with Gohan, Videl felt her nervousness fade, as she continued singing, "You're giving me too many things, lately. You're all I need, oh, you smiled at me, and said, 'Don't get me wrong, I love you, but does that mean I have to meet your father?' When we are older you'll understand when I said 'No, I don't think life is quite that simple.' When you walk away, you don't hear me say 'please, oh baby, don't go'. Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight. It's hard to let it go."

Watching his girlfriend sing, Gohan felt a slight niggling in the back of his mind. Realising quickly that it was someone with limited telepathic skills trying to contact him, Gohan focused a bit harder on it, and wasn't surprised to hear Kaen's voice; judging by the way Leo seemed to jump, Kaen was sending him the same message too. Listening to the plan Kaen outlined, he nodded once, noticing Leo do the same. Gohan smiled slightly as he decoded Kaen's motives behind the plan; he had, it seemed, found the perfect way to fulfil his obligations to his mate and sister, and provide enough of a distraction to leave the party, all in one fell swoop.

But until then, Gohan wanted to enjoy Videl's singing more.

As Videl's song ended, to almost thunderous applause, the three guys all stood up, heading to the stage together. Pi smirked amusedly as she saw it, instantly realising Kaen's plan, but having no intentions to stop it; she was just as eager to get somewhere more private as he was. Gohan headed towards the microphone, cycling through for the desired song, while Kaen and Leo stood slightly behind him. Seeing the Nekojin teen looking nervous, Kaen whispered, "Leo, just trust us, and follow our lead." That said, he and Gohan re-established the psychic link between the three of them, as the music began to play.

_-Yeah, we get up, we go out-  
-Me and all my friends-  
-Drink up, fall down-  
-Then we'll do it all again-_

To the simultaneous amusement and horror of their respective girlfriends, the three guys actually started to dance to the music, a lively tune that almost everyone in the club seemed to know instantly, thus, attracting almost everyone's attention; Pi could tell, both from the waves of amusement rolling in through the bond, and through Kaen commenting telepathically 'Defeat awkwardness with Maximum Ridiculousity!', that it was very intentional. [1]

When the drums and saxophones reached their peak, Gohan grabbed the microphone and began singing, with the other two on backup. "Why do you build me up (build me up) Buttercup, baby, just to let me down (let me down) and mess me around. And then worst of all (worst of all) you never call, baby, when you say you will (say you will) but I love you still. I need you (I need you) more than anyone, darlin', you know that I have from the start. So build me up (build me up) Buttercup, don't break my heart."

In the small lull between opening chorus and the first verse, Gohan shuffled away from the microphone, switching places with Leo, who took up the 'lead singer' position. "'I'll be over at ten,' you told me time and again, but you're late, I wait around and then (bah-dah-dah) I went to the door, I can't take any more, it's not you. You let me down again. (Hey, hey, hey!) Baby, baby, try to find (hey, hey, hey!) a little time, and I'll make you happy (hey, hey, hey!) I'll be home, I'll be beside the phone, waiting for you! Ooo-oo-ooo, ooo-oo-oo."

Again, in the next lull, Gohan took the lead again, and Pi was further amused to note the vast number of people watching that were clapping along to the beat, and some even joining in as Gohan sang the chorus again. "Why do you build me up (build me up) Buttercup, baby, just to let me down (let me down) and mess me around. And then worst of all (worst of all) you never call, baby, when you say you will (say you will) but I love you still. I need you (I need you) more than anyone, darlin', you know that I have from the start. So build me up (build me up) Buttercup, don't break my heart."

For the next verse, Kaen took the lead, an amused grin on his face. "You were my toy, but I could be the boy you adore, if you'd just let me know. (bah-dah-dah) Although you're untrue, I'm attracted to you all the more. Why do I need you so? (Hey, hey, hey!) Baby, baby, try to find (hey, hey, hey!) a little time, and I'll make you happy (hey, hey, hey!) I'll be home, I'll be beside the phone, waiting for you! Ooo-oo-ooo, ooo-oo-oo."

Gohan took centre stage one final time, for the final chorus. By this point, almost everyone in the club was either clapping along, singing along, or both. "Why do you build me up (build me up) Buttercup, baby, just to let me down (let me down) and mess me around. And then worst of all (worst of all) you never call, baby, when you say you will (say you will) but I love you still. I need you (I need you) more than anyone, darlin', you know that I have from the start. So build me up (build me up) Buttercup, don't break my heart..."

The music starting to fade, Gohan sang the last few lines. "I-I-I need you-oo-oo, more than anyone, baby, you know that I have from the start. So build me up (build me up) Buttercup, don't break my heart." Even as the last notes were fading from the air, the crowd cheered their approval, as the three teens took a bow. They knew that their friends would probably give them hell about this for a while, but, as they saw the amused-yet-pleased look on their respective girlfriend's faces, they all decided it had been well worth it.

_-Just kicking around, hanging out this afternoon-  
-Sitting around, hanging out this afternoon-  
-(Last call you sonsabitches!)-_

It was nearing two in the morning, and the party was finally winding to a close. Well, this one was, at least, for now anyways; no one had any doubts there would be parties all through the night and into the morning, and that, come tomorrow, the party would probably resume in the club too. Glancing around at the club, Gohan amended his earlier estimate; the party wouldn't be starting here again until mid-afternoon at the earliest, allowing time for clean up.

An amused smile found it's way to his face when he saw the aftermath of the Great Saiyan Drink-Off. Vegeta, he'd been told, had been the first to fall, passing out after somewhere between one-quarter and one-third of all consumption, and as such, the person who had to pay for all the booze; Bulma, by this point, was helping him walk, and chastising him good-naturedly as the 'Prince of Lightweights'. He'd actually asked Bulma before why she never did anything about Vegeta's new drinking habits, and she'd said that, compared to other things he might get up to, this was actually the cheapest. Gohan suspected that there was another reason, judging by the faint blush he'd seen on her face; his guess was that Vegeta was a cuddly affectionate drunk.

Next to go had been Avarrdo, just past the halfway point. He could still more-or-less stand on his own, but he couldn't fly, so April had asked Bulma if she could borrow a car capsule for the night. Truniz had fallen next, two bottles shy of the finale, and Cherri currently had her arm around him, as he moaned about 'where Kakarott put it all'. When all was said and done, the contest had come down to a draw between Kellre, and his own father. The older Saiyan looked his usual stoic self, with the exception of the drunken, rosy cheeks, while Goku was swaying in his chair as though physically drunk, but still was fully mentally cognitive; well, as much as Goku _ever_ was anyway.

And the reason they'd called the contest a draw: they'd gone through an entire case, and didn't feel like cracking open a new one.

_-Just kicking around, hanging out this afternoon-  
-Just sitting around, hanging out this afternoon-_

Though amused, Gohan was glad the kids weren't here to see this; they were all up on the second floor, where the living area was for the members of Club Chaos. While Kaen and Pi had ducked out hours earlier, they'd told Oran and Lime that they could spend the next couple of nights here, and, as a result, Goten, Trunks, Vincent, and Gina had asked to stay over too; well, Gina asked for her and her brother. Faile had been very excited when her older sister told her that she'd have not one or two, but six friends staying with her for at least the night, and the kids had hurried upstairs to get settled in, and probably play more late into the early morning, out of the way of the grown-ups partying below.

As the demi-Saiyan teen watched his mother assist his father in standing upright, it suddenly occurred to him that he'd probably be better off **not** going home, as his parents, like the rest of the couples here, would probably want some alone time. Before he could even begin to process a list of places he could stay, though, Videl sidled over to him and asked softly, "Gohan would... would you mind spending the night at my house?" The shocked look on his face made her flush, before defending herself quickly, "Uh, that sounded really bad. I just... After everything that's happened, I... I don't want to be alone tonight. I'm not trying to, uh... proposition you or anything."

Gohan smiled gently, resting his fingers over Videl's lips before her hurried rambling went any further. "I'd love to Videl." He laughed a bit before adding, "I was actually just thinking I may not want to go home tonight." He excused himself quickly, informing his mother he wouldn't be home tonight, so she and Goku could have the house to herself, before returning to Videl's side and offering her his arm, with a faux-posh, "M'lady?"

Smiling amusedly, Videl threaded her arm through his, resting her head against his bicep as she allowed him to lead her out. Glancing up at the clear night sky, the two decided, without words being spoken, to walk to Videl's house, if only to prolong this nice, peaceful moment. They walked in serene silence for ten minutes, before Videl had to ask a question that had been plaguing her mind. "Is this it? Is the adventure over?"

Gohan smiled softly, thinking back over the many battles that had been, and the more that were surely to come. 'The calm lasted seven years this time,' he mused, 'Let's see if we can break that record. "No Videl," he replied aloud, "The battle may be over, but the adventure, that has only just begun."

_-Just kicking around, hanging out this afternoon-  
-Just sitting around, hanging out this afternoon-_

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Author's notes:

[1] - I borrowed this line from the web comic Questionable Content. Well, I borrowed it from one of the T-shirts they sell.

For those who are interested, the song list was, in order: Final Countdown, New Divide, Burn It To The Ground, Sanctuary, Simple and Clean, Build Me Up Buttercup.

I finished this chapter a little while ago, and I was originally planning on releasing this chapter and the one before it at the same time, as it felt more 'complete' that way. However, by the time I finished this, I realised that it wasn't worth releasing the final chapter, which is basically just an epilogue, separately, so I held onto these two chapters to release all three of them together.


	60. E20: Adrenaline

--- Disturbance, Book 3: Endurance ---

Chapter E20 - Adrenaline

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_-You don't feel the pain-_

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to this, the final day of the twenty-sixth Tenkaichi Budokai! First up today will be the semi-final and final rounds of the Heavyweight Division, before the start of the much-awaited Super-Heavyweight Division." There was a cheer from the crowd, before the announcer continued, "As many Budokai fans may already know, the Heavyweight Division is the new name given to last tournament's Adult Division, with the Lightweight Division replacing the Junior Division. And the new category, the Super-Heavyweight Division, is the home to the true powerhouses, like both last tournament's grant champion, and the man who aims to take that title away from him, Gohan Son and Kaen Avarrdo."

There was a massive roar of approval from the crowd, and the announcer decided to just let them cheer for the moment; there was enough time spare to permit it. A massive grin spread across his face as he thought of the profit they'd be bringing in this tear, to say nothing of the profit they had already made on the 'qualifier' tournaments they'd held, to ensure only the best of the best had the chance to compete for the title of 'Number One Under Heaven'.

As the crowd started to wind down, the announcer brought his microphone up again, continuing his intro. "And now, without further ado, let's get the first Heavyweight Semi-Final underway! Our first competitor needs no introduction, but I'll give him one anyway: Hercule Satan!" The crowd cheered their approval, as the announcer talked over them, "A former world champion of the twenty-fourth tournament, and the man who, with the help of our otherworldly allies, defeated the monster known as Cell, Hercule is back once more for one last shot at the title. For those who missed yesterday's matches, Hercule announced, here on this very stage, that, win, lose, or draw, this would be his final tournament before he retired from professional competition, and settled down to focus on his family, and his students. Can he catch this final shot of glory? His challenger today doesn't think so."

_-Too much is not enough-  
-Nobody said this stuff makes any sense-  
-We're hooked again-_

"I'm glad dad's retiring after this tournament," Videl remarked, reclining slightly against the comfortable chair, while glancing out through the nearby window to the arena floor; no daughter of Hercule Satan was going to be relegated to sitting in the stands, her father had made sure of that, which is why she and Pi now sat inside the main tournament building, on opposite sides of the tea table they'd dragged out of somewhere.

Lifting her teacup to her lips, Pi commented, "I'll be honest, I'm surprised he decided to compete again at all, after his crushing defeats at the last tournament."

Videl just laughed slightly. "To be fair," she replied, "Both you and Gohan are, under the new system, Super-Heavyweights, while dad is not, so he actually _does_ have a chance of winning. Not to mention that, if he does win, and if you don't count his losses to people above his pay grade, he'll be retiring with a perfect record, _and_ on a fresh win to boot; that's every professional fighter's dream." Taking a sip from her own teacup, she continued, "I expect a win will inflate his ego somewhat for a while, but no doubt the knowledge that his granddaughter has, on an off day, more power in her left hand than he has in his entire body on a _good_ day, will probably sober him up quickly enough."

"Speaking of which, where is little Pan?" Pi asked curiously. "She's gotten better at hiding her ki."

Videl smiled, feeling a shot of pride at her daughter's progress. "She's with her other grandfather." Shrugging slightly, she added, "Even with how social we've been, she still hasn't met the whole gang, so Goku's introducing her to some of the more anti-social members, and hopefully encourage them to be a little less anti-social."

Pi smiled back. "She does have a knack for working her cute little charm, doesn't she?"

Feeding a little burst of ki into her hand to re-heat her tea, Videl opened her mouth to say something, possibly a reply to Pi's question, when she got cut off by a chipper voice calling out, "Sorry I'm late. Took forever to round the family up, and even longer to convince Aeris to baby-sit them."

"No problem Kat," Videl replied, picking up the third teacup they'd set to one side and pouring her friend a cup.

"Thanks," the youthful redhead smiled, accepting the offered cup and taking a sip before asking, "So, what'd I miss?"

_-Point of no return-  
-See how the buildings burn, light up the night-  
-Such pretty sight-_

"Why are you doing this? You know he's going to crush you right? And when he does, you're just going to spend the next month moping about it as you try and work out 'what went wrong' and how to win 'next time', just like you did the _last_ **three** times you challenged him." When no reply was forthcoming, she rolled her eyes and asked, "Are you doing this to impress Faile?"

"Why would I need to impress her?" Ah! Finally, a reply. "She's my mate, remember sis?"

Lime just rolled her eyes again. "Yeah, like that stopped dad doing things to impress mum, or vice versa. And you didn't answer my question, any of them; why are you doing this?"

"Why are you?" Oran shot back, half-glaring at his younger-by-ten-seconds sister. "If this is such a waste of time, why are _you_ competing? Are you trying to impress a certain lavender-haired Briefs?"

Lime gaped for a second, a slight embarrassed blush coming to her face as she watched her own words get turned back against her, before she shook it off and replied, "I'm only competing because it's better than sitting on the sidelines, and to get a reaction from the kids at school. And, maybe - just maybe - I'd like to mess up that smug face of Trunks'. But whatever my reason, at least I'm not competing for the express purpose of trying to defeat our **dad** in combat on a national stage. I mean, were the defeats he handed you at the qualifiers not enough for you? Do you _like_ getting your ass kicked?"

"Yes, okay!" Oran snapped. "Yes, I do, because every time he beats me, I get one step closer to beating _him_ next time. Remember what he told us, all those years ago? 'You can do anything you set your mind to, as long as you don't give up'? Well I've set my mind on beating him, so I'm not going to give up until I do."

"But **why**?"

"Because..." He sighed, sitting back down. "Because I'm tired of everyone comparing me to him. Because I'm tired of being in dad's shadow. Because I... I want him to see me as an equal, instead of just the little brother he adopted to give us a chance at a normal life." Standing up, determination burning in his eyes, he threw his right hand out, summoning his massive red-and-black tomahawk in a burst of ki. "Come hell or high water, I _will_ make Kaen recognize my strength, one way or another."

_-Adrenaline keeps me in the game-  
-Adrenaline, you don't even feel the pain-  
-Wilder than your wildest dreams-  
-When you're going to extremes, it takes adrenaline-_

"So how are the twins doing? Are Oran and Faile still together?" Kat asked around her teacup, smiling a little guiltily as she added, "With everything that's been happening, we haven't really had a chance to catch up like this for... uh... how many years had it been now?"

"Far too many," Pi replied with a smile for her adopted sister-in-law, stirring her drink before continuing, "As for your original questions, the twins are doing well; they're both in university now, though taking wildly different courses. And yes, Oran and Faile are very much still together; they've been bonded since the day he turned fifteen."

The two other women choked on this drinks momentarily, Kat recovering first and asking, "Fifteen? Isn't that a bit soon?"

Pi just shrugged. "Not really. That's the age when Saiyans start getting the urge to mate and bond, and had he gotten that urge in previous years no doubt they'd have been bonded sooner the way they went at it some days." Taking another sip of tea, she added almost too casually, "Some days I swear they were a heartbeat away from rutting on the table during dinner. He actually almost _missed_ meals a few times, and probably would have if Faile hadn't been hungry too."

After a moment of awkward silence, Videl asked, "So how's Lime then? I remember her and Trunks having a thing together when they were younger."

Pi rolled her eyes and exhaled an annoyed sigh, "That girl... I swear, she had to have the most complicated relationship, as if just to spite how simple her brother's was. No, she and Trunks aren't together **this** week; actually, I think it's been a month they've been separated this time." She sighed again, setting her cup down on the table. "I swear, they've been doing this for Dende-only knows how long now. They're together, then he does something to piss him off and she breaks up with him, they'll spend some time apart, often dating other people in what is no doubt a sad attempt to make the other jealous, before one of them, usually Trunks, but occasionally Lime herself, goes back to the other, apologises, and begs for another chance. They'll be together for a while longer, and then the cycle will repeat again. I think the longest they've managed to stay together now for is... four months. Maybe five."

Blinking slightly, Kat commented, "Wow, and I thought Vegeta and Bulma had a weird relationship. So, this on-again off-again thing, what are the fights usually about?"

"Oh, they're always about more or less the same thing," Pi barked a dry laugh, "While Oran grew up wanting to **be** his brother, Lime grew up wanting her **mate** to be like her brother, and, for reasons even she can't explain - I asked - she's decided Trunks can fit that bill best; being Vegeta's son, that's not as much of a surprise as it sounds. Ergo, she wants a mate who is strong, decisive, and not afraid to knock her on her ass. Trunks, however, despite being Vegeta's son, is also Bulma's son, and has been raised with a lot of human standards that conflict with the Saiyan ones Lime wants."

"So she gets mad at him for treating her with kid gloves, like she's a princess, or some kind of porcelain doll?" Videl asked, mostly rhetorically.

"Pretty much," Pi replied with a shrug. "She wants him to treat her like a warrior and an equal, while he continues to treat her as though they were characters in a chick flick, and neither of them seem willing to meet the other in the middle somewhere. It's gotten to the point that Kaen has actually considered drugging the both of them with an aphrodisiac next full moon and locking them in a room together; either they'd bond, just have sex, or kill each other, but whatever the outcome, by morning the issue would be resolved once and for all."

Choking on her drink again, Kat spluttered, "He wouldn't really do that would he?"

Pi just grinned and shook her head. "No. But he _does_ threaten them with it whenever one of them gets too uppity."

_-You don't feel the pain!-_

"So, Trunks, you ready for this?"

Pausing mid-sit-up, the haired-haired man turned to face his life-long friend, replying, "Why do you ask questions you already know the answer to? If I **wasn't** ready, dad would have made sure I was long before now. He's not about to let me embarrass him on the world stage." Resuming his workout, he continued between breaths, "I mean... I don't expect to reach the finals, and dad doesn't expect me to either, but I should at least get far enough to fight either Gohan or Kaen in the semi's, assuming I don't get matched up against my dad or yours before-" Before Trunks could finish, Goten burst out laughing, forcing Trunks to pause once more to glare at his friend. "What?"

Reigning in his laughter, but not the massive grin threatening to split his head in half, Goten asked amusedly, "You don't know? They've already done the match ups; it's not assigned by the competitors drawing this year. Well, not for _our_ division anyway, I couldn't say about the others."

Groaning, Trunks collapsed against the ground, remarking tiredly, "Ugh... All right then, who have they got me paired against? You're obviously dying to tell me."

Goten took a moment to smirk as cruelly as his Son-descended features would allow before he said a single word that sent Trunks' blood running cold: "Lime."

Trunks bolted to his feet, eyes wide like he'd seen a ghost, as he exclaimed, "Oh FUCK no! Please, tell me you're joking. Tell me this is some cruel joke to get back at the many I pulled on you in years past."

"Nope; this time, the truth is more than cruel enough." Just to dig the knife in further, Goten added, "Looks like you won't even be getting past the elimination round."

Burying his face in his hands, Trunks' voice was muffled as he asked, "What about you?"

Grinning sheepishly, and rubbing his neck in true Son fashion, Goten replied, "Hehe... uh, well, I probably won't get past the elimination round either. I'm up against my dad." His expression brightening, the dark-haired youth added, "However, _my_ dad won't kill me for not getting to the quarter-finals; he said he'd only punish me if I didn't compete. Plus, I know he won't hurt me _too_ badly, because I've got a date tonight; my punishment for _not_ competing would've been not being allowed to go on said date."

"Who's you're date tonight?" Trunks asked, relieved to have a new topic past his up-coming public spanking, and later private beat- err, training. "You still seeing Celine?"

"Nah, she and I split up a fortnight ago," Goten shook his head, "I'm seeing Sasha tonight."

Trunks quirked an eyebrow. "Sasha? The same Sasha I took to one of mum's public dinner's a month or so ago?"

Goten grinned sheepishly again. "Hey, I couldn't let her to go waste."

"Geez Goten," Trunks remarked with an exasperated eye roll, "You go through girlfriends like your father does _meals_. Have you ever dated a girl for more than two weeks? Hell, have you even managed to stick to a single _species_ yet? Or are you still alternating between Saiyan and human?"

"So what if I am?" Goten retorted irately; this wasn't exactly a new topic, though it was a sore one. "At least I'm not trying to get a Saiyan girl to **act** human." All conversation between the two quickly descended into bickering over each other's love lives, but it was hardly the first time, and wouldn't be the last.

_-Sail through an empty night-  
-It's only you and I who understand-  
-There is no plan-_

"Oh, I just remembered," Kat exclaimed suddenly, "I saw the tournament ladder on the way in. Did you see that Gohan and Kaen are at opposite ends of the draw?"

"Mm hm," Videl nodded, "Deliberately so."

"Huh?"

"It's simple," Pi explained, "The organisers actually asked Gohan and Kaen if they'd mind being at opposite ends of the draw, leaving their match for last, and they approved." At Kat's shocked look, she added, "Let's face it, this 'Super-Heavyweight Division' exists for only two reasons: to give non-ki users a shot at the normal title, and to make the people who run these things an assload of money. As such, they've rigged the ladder to ensure all the matches are going to be as exciting, and thus money-earning, as possible."

"But... But what if the people they expect to win don't?" Kat stuttered.

"Even better," Videl remarked with a shrug, "If there's anything the crowd likes to see more than the 'long awaited match between Fred and Steve', it's the match between Fred, and the fighter who _beat_ Steve, thus denying Fred his chance to defeat his rival, and so on."

"Uh huh," Pi agreed, "I mean, they asked me if I was okay with being number nine, leaving my fight with Kaen for the semi's, before I told them I wouldn't be competing."

"And I was to be number eight, for much the same reason, before I dropped out," Videl added, "I think they filled my spot with Goku, and I know Pi's spot was taken by Oran."

Pi sighed, "Kami, that boy's been chomping at the bit for another chance to beat Kaen. Had he any less pride, I think Kaen would probably have _let_ him win by now, just to curb this obsession of his a bit. Even Faile agrees it's getting to be unhealthy."

Deciding to change the subject quickly as a thought occurred to her, the redhead asked, "Hey, how come you two aren't competing anyways? I mean, you fought at the qualifiers, and you obviously got in, so..."

In a display that, at any other time, may have been considered creepy, the two women set their teacups down, smiling slightly and replied, in almost perfect synch, "I'm pregnant." The two then burst into laughter as they realised that the other's tone had matched their completely; that mix of excitement and resignation of all expectant mothers who are happy to have another child, but less than happy with the timing of it.

Kat gasped, shooting to her feet, and almost upsetting all three cups in her haste. "Ohmygosh! How long-"

Videl smiled, "Gohan and I just found out a fortnight ago, when he picked up a second ki signature mixed with mine. We're not sure when it happened, exactly, as while we weren't trying, we weren't **not** trying either, but, at least four months now."

"We've known for a while," Pi continued, "But we decided to wait until the tournament to tell people. I'm far enough along that Kaen banned me from competing, not that I was planning on risking it once we found out anyways, but I couldn't give you a time frame; this time, we're leaving things to the whims of Fate."

"Why now?" Kat pondered curiously, "Why the big gap between?"

For that, Videl had no answer. Pi did though, shrugging and replying, "Genetics." At the inquisitive looks of the other two women, she explained, "We Saiyans live for a long time. If we had even one child every year, or every two years, our population would have ballooned out of control, so, at a genetic level, we seem to instinctively leave a decent gap between. Plus, it's also a society thing, not having another child until the previous one is old enough to assist in raising and training the new one."

Accepting this new information with a quick nod, Kat asked the all important question, almost exploding at the sheer excitement of it, despite having had more kids of her own than both of them combined. "So, boy or girl?"

"Well, I'm hoping for a boy," Videl remarked softly, resting one hand on her stomach, "But I wouldn't object to another girl. We're not planning to find out until the day."

Pi just grinned, replying, "Yes." She watched her sister's face as the thought filtered through, and just the redhead opened her mouth to comment, she nodded, adding, "Yes, twins. Again."

"Wow," Videl blinked, "What are the odds of that?"

"Pretty good, considering," Pi shrugged, "I had a talk with April the first time around, and apparently Korin was the only non-twin in at least the last five generations of her family. Kaen, it would seem, had a sister who didn't survive the birth."

"Speaking of," Kat interjected, "How have the younger... err, make that 'middle' twins handled the news?"

The older woman smiled. "Happy they're not going to be the 'babies' of the family for much longer."

_-Get closer to the thrill-  
-Only time cam kill, it's in your eyes-  
-It's so alive-_

"And there you have it folks!" The announcer declared, "The Champion of the Heavyweight Division is HERCULE!"

The crowd roared their approval as the announcer handed the microphone over to the Afro'd man, the (once again) champ waiting for the cheers to die down on their own before speaking. "First, let me say thank you to everyone who came here today. Every fighter dreams of being able to retire on a win, and today, I realise that dream, so, thank you, all of you." The crowd cheered once more, and again he let them finish before continuing. "I'd also like to thank my fans for never giving up on me, and for believing that I could bring home one more title."

As the crowd roared a third time, Hercule turned around the arena slowly, letting his gaze pass across every face, and a gentle smile came upon his face as he spotted both his daughter and his granddaughter watching, from the private booths he had set them up with. Turning to face the crowd once more, he added, in a more subdued tone. "Most of all, I'd like to thank my family, and close friends, for sticking by me."

He paused, taking a moment to collect this thoughts, before continuing, "In the past decade or so, many people have speculated that I had let my fame go to my head, especially after the Cell Games, and was just coasting along, expecting to win every competition I entered." He waited a moment, as his fans in the crowd began instantly denying that, before adding, "They were right. Despite knowing that, without my friends, I could never have defeated Cell, I let myself believe I was the strongest man alive, content in the knowledge that they didn't want the fame or fortune I craved. Then the next generation of fighters came along, and unseated me from my throne."

"My loss at the previous tournament inspired me to do better, to **be** better," the champ continued, "And seeing my daughter, and my son-in-law, drove me to push myself to my limits, and beyond. I entered this tournament because I wanted to prove, to myself, to my family, and to all of you, that I _could_ win, and to show people the world over that, no matter how far gone you think you are, you _can_ better yourself. All you need is someone to give you a chance, and the determination to use it." Pumping one fist into the air, he bellowed out one of his trademark roars, cutting off quickly as he felt a sharp flick of super-fast air against one ear, and quickly exiting the arena after one final "Thank you, everyone."

_-Adrenaline keeps me in the game-  
-Adrenaline, you don't even feel the pain-  
-Wilder than your wildest dreams-  
-When you're going to extremes, it takes adrenaline-_

"Geez, gramps is _such_ an embarrassment," remarked one of three girls relaxing in one of the so-called 'booths' Hercule had glanced at earlier. Leaning against the railing of the glorified balcony they were on, the girl absently juggled a small ball of ki over the back of her hand, musing on whether to send another the old man's way. "This is why we can't take him anywhere nice."

Another dark-haired girl, resting against the wall, shrugged slightly. "Well, at least the good part is starting soon and we get to see our dads in combat." Absently playing with the sleeve of her viridian fighting gi, she asked curiously, "How do you think your uncle's gonna fair against your grandpa?"

The first girl laughed, adjusting her bandana. "He's gonna get his butt kicked. Dad always jokes that grandpa Goku only does three things: eat, train, and spend time with grandma Chichi. Uncle Goten, however, spends too much time being a... uh... play... ee? No, that's not right... darn it, what did he call him?"

"A player?" The third girl offered, running a brush through her straight aqua hair as she adjusted her hairstyle for what had to be the third time today. "Or maybe a playboy? Either of those sound right to you Pan?"

"The first one. And it disturbs me that word comes to you so easily Bra," the first girl, Pan, replied.

Bra just shrugged, turning to the girl in green and asking, "Hey Tama, where are the boys?"

Tama just rolled her eyes. "My brother lost the Janken game, so he's bringing the snacks."

"And what about-"

"Don't say his name!" Tama hissed suddenly, "I remember mum saying 'to speak the name is to invoke the power', and the last thing I want is to 'invoke' him."

Nodding, Pan commented, "Agreed. Still, where is he, so we know where _not_ to be?"

Tama rolled her eyes again. "Hopefully grandpa conned him into testing some invention and accidentally sent him to some dimension far away, but I doubt I'll be that lucky. He'll probably be along to harass us later."

"Hey, don't talk that way about him," Bra exclaimed, "He's not that bad, and he's kinda cute." She giggled slightly before adding, "But then, Rash is kinda cute too."

For a brief moment, Tama thought she was going to be sick. "EWW! That's my _uncle_ and _brother_ you're talking about!"

Pan couldn't cover up a shudder of her own as she said her piece. "You really are your mother's daughter aren't you?"

"Hey!" Bra shouted, snapping her pocket mirror closed, "What's that supposed to mean?!"

Before either girl could answer, the nearby door slid open to herald a boy in a vermilion fighting gi, of similar cut to Tama's, who asked not nearly as nervously as he possibly should have, "Is this a bad time?"

"Depends on what you brought with you," Tama replied flippantly.

The boy grunted irritably, using one arm to direct the veritable Congo line of items he'd been using his ki to float along behind him. "Four large popcorns, four bags of assorted lollies, four choc-coated ice creams, and four drinks. The cashier nearly had a heart attack when I levitated all this stuff, never mind when I placed the order." Using his second arm to assist dividing everything up, he continued, "Lemonade for Bra, Sunkist for sis, Raspberry Fanta for Pan, and Coke for me; that right?" There was a stunned silence from the girls. "I take that as a 'yes'."

Glancing at the boy curiously, Pan asked, "Rash, how did..." She shook her head. "Never mind." Not giving the boy a chance to respond, she turned back to the stadium, as the announcer began the introduction for her father's match.

_-Run through the speed of sound-  
-Every thing slows you down-  
-And all colours that surround you are bleeding to the walls-_

"Okay, let's get the third elimination match under way!" The announcer declared, gesticulating wildly with the hand not holding the microphone. It came as no surprise to anyone involved that Gohan won his match easily, and the second match featured a pair of newcomers, one of whom would now have the chance to be beaten by Gohan in the quarter-finals. "Our first competitor is one of the two co-winners of the last Junior Division, Trunks Briefs. Trunks, along with his friend and co-champion Goten, were the first, at the last games, to demonstrate the powers that necessitated the formation of this, the Super-Heavyweight Division, and now he's back for a shot at the new title."

'Not bloody likely," Trunks groused to himself, rolling his eyes for a moment before plastering a huge grin on his face and striding out, waving to the crowd as he did.

"His opponent is making her debut in professional competition, having performed extremely well in the qualifiers. The daughter - excuse me, eldest daughter - of one of this year's favourites, she will no doubt be a formidable fighter. Welcome Lime Avarrdo!"

At her name, the young woman marched determinedly out to the arena, dressed in a viridian fighting gi, in the same style as her younger sister, only with the sleeves cut back to her shoulders. Unlike Trunks, she didn't waste time waving to the crowd, her mind already focused on her upcoming match."

"For those just joining us, I will explain the rules of the Super-Heavyweight Division again. There are just two of them: touching the grass, main building, or arena stands results in immediate disqualification, as does killing or maiming your opponent." Backing away from the arena slowly, he added, "Alright fighters, wait until the gong to begin." Instructions given, he fled as fast as he could without seeming panicked.

"So Trunks," Lime stated tonelessly, "Are you finally ready to man up and fight me? Or are you going to hide behind your mother's skirts again? Are you going to continue to be more of a girl than _I_ am?"

Trunks snorted, folding his arms and replying in a not-quiet-enough voice, "Yeah, like it's _hard_ to be more of a girl than a tomboy like you."

Unfortunately for Trunks, the gong had the unfortunate timing to sound before the angry-chemicals that statement produced had time to metabolise, resulting in Lime blurring forward and slamming a ki-coated fist into his unprotected stomach, wrapping the younger Saiyan around it as she snarled, "I'm sorry, what was that? Care to repeat it?"

"I said," Trunks coughed out, subtly gathering ki in his now-loose hands, "You're an uncute tomboy!" Declaration made, he threw his hands forward and fired, aiming to hit her in the stomach with enough force to put some distance between them.

The concussive force sent the girl flying back a good distance, before she back flipped to land in a crouch, half the mat away. "Oh Trunks," she remarked, dusting herself off as she stood upright again, "I _was_ going to be nice about this, but-" she threw her arms out to either side, summoning her preferred weapons, her red spiked chakram, in a flare of ki, "-you just had to go and cross the line." If there was one thing Lime hated, it was being called a 'tomboy'; she was a warrior, damnit, and it wasn't her fault her hair was naturally short.

Trunks knew she was going to kick his ass - he'd known it long before their match even started - so, in true Trunks fashion, he decided that, if he was going to get his ass kicked regardless of what he did, he was going to make it worth it. "Bring it then, or are you all talk?" Trunks sneered, "After all, your daddy isn't going to bail you out this time." He could almost hear the aneurism pop as she leapt towards him, a wordless battle cry issuing forth.

_-All the things you really need-  
-Just wait to find the speed-  
-Then you will achieve escape velocity-_

"Well, I would definitely have to declare that experiment a success," Avarrdo declared, "The evidence speaks for itself."

Kellre, his long time friend-slash-rival-slash-partner-in-mad-science, replied, "You're particularly proud of that experiment aren't you?"

"Like you aren't as proud, if not more, of your latest," Avarrdo shot back.

Kellre just shrugged in acceptance. "That does bring to mind a question I've had for a while though: how come you haven't tried that experiment again with different conditions?"

"I have been through three iterations, with various success," Avarrdo remarked, "Compared to your two. That said, I _have_ expressed an interest on attempting the process a fourth time."

Lounging nearby, beer in hand, the youngest of the three, Truniz, called out, "You know, _normal_ parents call 'em 'kids', not 'experiments'."

"And what exactly is your definition of 'normal'?" Kellre grinned, "It's a strange universe out there."

"Hey! That's my line!" Truniz exclaimed, actually sitting upright.

"I don't need to re-invent the wheel," Kellre replied flippantly, "Besides, using your own words against you is half the fun of being brothers."

"Ain't that the truth," Truniz smirked for a moment, before adding, "But, you're a scientist - Re-inventing the wheel is all you do!"

"And? Just because I **do** something doesn't mean I **have** to when it doesn't suit me."

_-Too much is not enough-  
-Nobody gave it up-  
-I'm not the kind to lay down and die!-_

'Right, I just need to deliver this message to sis, and then I can get back to my primary assignment.' And let it never be said he didn't enjoy his primary assignment. Being the oldest of the current generation, his father had tasked him with part of the younglings' training; specifically, mental training, like psychological strengthening and enforcing emotional stability. Which basically meant it was his job to annoy them as much as possible.

Rash was exceptionally easy to set off, and was more explosive and volatile than a long-expired stick of TNT. Tama was a lot harder, but he had remarkably good results be setting up a feedback loop, by setting her brother off, leaving her to calm him down, then setting him off again before the dust could settle. Pan was somewhere in the middle, while Bra... Sometimes, he wasn't even sure she was paying attention, so she was a real challenge to set off.

Passing a mirror in the hall, he took a moment to glance over the fighting outfit he and his father had assembled. Fairly loose, unrestrictive pants, with traditional Saiyan-style boots, though in untraditional colours. A sleeveless muscle shirt, with an oriental-style coat over the top, split down the middle, with buttons he never bothered to do up, and held closed by a sash tied around his waist. Well, from the front it looked like a sash, but it actually hung a ways down his legs; it was more-or-less a cloak he wore by tying it around his waist, instead of draping it over his shoulders. This 'waist cloak' served two purposes: firstly, to cover the split in the back of his coat, ending at about waist height, that allowed him unrestricted use of his tail; and secondly, to be used as a distraction in combat, when combined with said freely usable tail.

Clearing his thoughts and continuing on, he dug the message he was to deliver out of his memory banks. 'Right, dad said it was import I get this message to Pi as soon as possible.' Approaching the entranceway to the viewing area she was in, she heard a few female voices drifting down the hall:

"You know, even after all this time, I still can't get used to the tail."

"It doesn't get in the way; just let it wrap around your waist. Besides, if it becomes a bother, you can always ask Gohan about it."

"No! Not after last time! He wouldn't stop-"

'On second thoughts,' he thought to himself, quickly hurrying away from the women lest he be caught overhearing something he should, or lest he overhear something he then couldn't _un_-hear, 'Dad would probably prefer I continue living, even if I have to give her the message later.' He grinned to himself. 'In the mean time... The others are all on the floor below. Time to work.'

_-Adrenaline keeps me in the game-  
-Adrenaline, you don't even feel the pain-  
-Wilder than your wildest dreams-  
-When you're going to extremes, it takes adrenaline-_

The fight had been raging for some time. Scattered around the arena floor were the remains of six violet spears, two weapons that looks like the lovechild of a crossbow and a Tommy gun, both broken near the trigger, as well as countless pale blue ice-like shards of metal; no doubt the clean-up crew were already dreading having to prepare the arena for the next, and final, match of the day. Hefting his massive red-and-black tomahawk onto his right shoulder, and tightening his grip on the hilt of the massive white spiky claymore he held in his left, Oran stared down his opponent, falling back on old training to control his breathing.

His opponent merely grinned back at him, resting his own sword almost casually across both his shoulders, despite the weapon solid metal at least nine inches wide, and almost as tall as he himself was; taller, if you discounted the mass of hair atop his head. "So, you ready to give up yet?"

"Never!" He snarled, throwing himself forward almost through the momentum of his claymore alone, aiming to cut his opponent off at the ankles, before he simply leapt over it. Completing the spin, he planted the tip of his claymore in the ground, using the momentum to leap up and plant a boot in his opponent's back. "Not while there's a breath left in me, Kaen!"

Spinning rapidly to land, on his feet, in a crouching position, his sword still resting on his shoulders, Kaen remarked, "Well, I can arrange that." Leaping forward, he swung his sword forward, using it for a feint as he forced Oran on the defensive, the younger man bringing up his claymore to block it, and giving Kaen the opening he needed to drive his left fist into his brother's chest, just where his ribcage ended. Not giving him a moment's rest, he pivoted on his right heel, using his left hand to shove the claymore aside as he swung his sword around in a wide arc, leaving Oran only one defence from potential decapitation.

The young Saiyan quickly brought his tomahawk up, the clash of metal against metal ringing loudly through the arena, before Kaen's sword sheered through the black metal; fortunately, though, the force of the impact changed the direction of the cut, sending the blade over Oran's head. Discarding the now useless weapon, and realising with a wince that the broken tip had grazed his shoulder, he swung his claymore forward, gripping it with both hands as he dropped into a low stance, almost resembling a baseball player awaiting the pitch.

"You've got a lot of power, little brother, of that there can be no doubt," Kaen remarked dryly, lowering his sword to slowly cut a line into the tile about half a foot in front of him, before twisting his body away so his legs were almost in a perpendicular line from the one he'd cut, using both hands to hold his sword above his head. "But, the big question is, do you have the skill, and the speed, to use it?"

With a wordless roar Oran launched himself at his brother, the two lashing out, in true 'anime final showdown' fashion, just as Oran raced past, landing a good three feet behind his brother's position. There was a moment of total silence, before a thin red line began to form from Kaen's right shoulder, the majority of the down to just shy of his wrist. Half a heartbeat later, the two halves of Oran's weapon slid apart, the younger man's skin uncut, though he collapsed to his knees a moment later; by the terms they had set before the match, he had lost again.

Dismissing his sword with a thought, Kaen walked over to offer his brother a hand up, grinning as he remarked, "Wow, that really hurts."

Sighing ruefully, Oran accepted the hand up. "I almost had you that time."

"That you did, Oran," Kaen smirked at the astonished look on his little-brother-slash-adopted-son's face, "I'm going to have to train hard to make sure I stay ahead of you."

Laughing excitedly, the gloom gone from his eyes, Oran joked back, "I don't think so old man, next time, **I** will be the one ahead."

"Keep dreaming, boy, keep dreaming."

_-Adrenaline, screaming out your name-  
-Adrenaline, you don't even feel the pain-  
-Wilder than your wildest dreams-  
-When you're going to extremes, it takes adrenaline-_

"My dad's gonna win you know." The finale, the fight between Gohan and Kaen was only so many minutes away, the monks working feverishly to get the arena cleaned up as quickly as possible; unfortunately, for the kids awaiting the showdown between their respective parents, 'as quickly as possible' was not soon enough. "It's simple fact. My dad is stronger than your dad."

"You're crazy," Rash shot back, "Did you forget that the _last_ time out dads fought in the tournament, my dad kicked your dad's ass?"

"Please," Pan rolled her eyes, "Your dad only won because he cheated."

Jumping to his feet, Rash shouted, "You lie! You lie like the Gopher Devil! El Gophero Diablo!" [1]

"Actually," Tama shrugged, sitting against the railing, "She's quite right; dad _did_ technically cheat."

"Judas!" Rash exclaimed, "Why do you side with the enemy?"

His sister rolled her eyes. "Look, just calm down."

He clenched his fist. "I will _not_ calm down, not until you explain your actions heathen!"

"You should listen to your sister," Pan smirked knowingly.

The boy's eyes narrowed, anticipating what she was going to say. "Don't you say it."

Still smirking, the girl ignored his warning. "You need to calm down, before you do something-"

"Don't you fucking say it!" Rash was very much his father's son.

Pan's bastardly smirk held as she finished, "-rash."

"That's it!" Leaping towards the girl, he crash tackled her to the ground, and the two quickly began scuffling. Tama, however, just calmly floated over to the other side where Bra was, as the two quietly began placing bets on who would win this time; Pan and Rash fighting was hardly a new event, the girl delighted in pushing his buttons almost as much as-

"Alright you guys, break it up." Phasing through the open door, the older boy forcefully separated the two squabbling kids, his waist cloak fluttering slightly in the breeze.

Struggling to get free, Rash snarled, though it came across as something of a pout, "Aww, leave us alone Mason!"

"_Uncle_ Mason," the older boy corrected.

Rash just snarled again, pulling his gi free. "I am _not_ going to call you 'uncle'! You are only two-and-a-half years older than me!"

"Two years, eleven months, twenty-seven days, four hours, six minutes, and fifteen seconds older than you runt, now behave," Mason corrected again. [2]

"Oh, just get lost!"

"No way," Mason stated, "I'm both bigger and stronger than the lot of you, and I gotta keep you in line, or else dad will get angry with me."

Marching over to lean against the wall, placing him as far away from Mason as he could get without leaving the balcony, Rash remarked, "Grandpa Kellre never gets mad at you! You're his favourite."

"So what?" Mason retorted, "I still have an excuse to squash you guys like bugs."

Pan seemed to take offence to that statement, exclaiming, "Hey, no fair!" It wasn't that she expressly minded him hanging out with them when he wasn't being antagonistic, nor him breaking up the fight, as much fun as it had been; no, what she didn't like was the implication that he could boss them around. Pan Son took orders from a short list of people, and unless their surname was 'Son', they weren't on the list; heck, not even Uncle Goten was.

Mason just folded his arms. "Damn right, this is the Kingdom of Mason. I'm the Emperor, I'm the President, I'm the King, now settle down the both of you." He paused a moment, before grinning, "On second thought, Pan gets a 'Get out of Jail Free' card, 'cause she got a wicked burn on Rash." Still grinning, he gave the girl a thumbs-up, and Pan, her attitude shifting away from annoyed, grinned back and mimicked the gesture.

"You're mean, '_Uncle_' Mason," Rash sneered, making to put as much sarcasm into the word 'uncle' as his small frame would allow.

"Only because you act like your dad," Mason grinned.

In true child-like fashion, Rash retorted with, "My dad is bigger than you!"

"So what?" Mason shrugged, "My sister can beat him up."

"That's only 'cause they're mates!"

"Doesn't change the fact he gets beat on by a girl." Giving Pan a quick glance, Mason grinned again, adding, "Well, like father, like son."

_-Oh you don't even feel the pain-  
-Oh you don't even feel the pain-  
-'Coz I'm going to extremes-  
-There is nothing in between-_

"How much sugar has Rash had today?" Videl remarked amusedly, having overheard the kids' conversation; heck, half the building probably heard them, and quite possible the people in the western stands too.

Pi just sighed, holding her head in her hands. "Too much. Or not enough; it's hard to tell some times, the line seems to blur." Sighing again, she added, "It doesn't help that Mason goes out of his way to rile him up. That, plus the new location, plus the chance to see his father fighting, and I mean _really_ fighting... Well, it's no wonder he's over-stimulated."

"He does seem to have it in for Rash doesn't he?" Kat commented, "And I thought he would've grown out if that by now."

"I think I know what the problem is," Pi sighed. Taking a moment to gather her thoughts, she remarked, "I think my father is up to something with Mason and Pan, it seems he's getting jealous of the time Pan spends with the twins; specifically, Rash."

"Well, I don't think that's the full story, but it's probably part of it," Videl replied, running her finger around the lip of her empty teacup. "For now, at least, they're all just friends, so we shouldn't push the issue in either direction, or we'll just make it awkward for all involved."

"Since when were you so good at giving parenting advice 'Del?" Pi grinned, "Why, I distinctly remember you coming to us for help when you found out you were pregnant, trying to learn everything we'd picked up from looking after the twins."

"So I was a little nervous; I was hardly the first mother-to-be to feel like that," Videl shrugged. "In any case, I know my daughter. She likes Mason because 'he's funny', but he also has a habit of getting on her nerves when he starts bossing everyone around. And Rash, well, I know she finds him fun to play with, what with their constant scuffles, but he does have a frequent habit of taking things too far." Shrugging slightly as Pi nodded at the younger woman's assessment of the two, Videl added, "In any case, there's no reason to get paranoid about silly matchmaking; Pan's way too young to worry about that."

Pi just grinned, shrugging helplessly. "This is **my** _dad_ we're talking about here 'Del, you of all people should know how much of a sly manipulator he is, little miss 'I'm only borrowing the Dragon Ba-"

Blushing furiously, Videl steamrolled her words with, "Okay, okay I get it, but really, it's harmless for now. I'm sure they'll all grow out of it later maybe once they mature up some, but until then let's just leave it at that. I mean, it's not like you worried about that sort of thing when you were Pan's age did you?"

"No," Pi replied with a slight shake of her head, "Not really. Not until I turned ten, and our parents decided that whenever I slept over at Kaen's house I was to sleep in his bed. With him."

Videl opened her mouth to say something, quite possibly a derogatory remark about the other woman's parentage, before she was interrupted by Kat giggling to herself. When the redhead noticed she had the attention of both of the other women, she grinned and remarked, "I just realised, Rash and Tama's names were really prophetic weren't that? Rash is always hasty, and Tama is tamer." Giggling again, she added, "Oh Pi, why did you ever select _those_ names?"

"I'll be honest with you," Pi replied, "We never once stopped to consider how their names might translate into Common; I mean, they're proper Saiyan names, that just happen to have a Common word spelt the same, or similar, that seems to describe their personality." She sighed, "I swear, Rash inherited both my temper _and_ Kaen's."

"Poor kid," Videl remarked dryly.

Half-shrugging, Pi commented, "There was another reason we chose those name." A wistful smile flitting across her face, she added, "They were the names of our children in another life."

_-Oh you don't even feel the pain-  
-You don't even feel the pain-  
-Oh, I'm going to extremes-_

There was absolute silence in the arena as the two finalists stared each other down. Smirking, Kaen flourished out an exaggerated bow, remarking, "So, here we are again Gohan."

Gohan just smirked back, returning the mock bow. "So it would seem."

"Rules?"

"Hold nothing back."

Kaen's grin turned feral. "I like it. Simple, easy to remember. Together then?"

"On three. One... Two... Three!"

With a pair of wordless screams, an aura burst into life around each power, a veritable maelstrom of wind whipping up out of nowhere as the two dragged every ounce of power to the surface. Thick black storm clouds filled the sky, drawn to the intense aurora of blue, red, and gold. The audience watched in hushed awe as the two Saiyan powerhouses assumed their true battle forms, Capsule Corp brand energy shields snapping into place around the arena walls; they wouldn't protect against a straight shot for long, sure, but it would be long enough for the audience to flee.

As the winds settled, and the two Saiyans reached their respective plateaus, Gohan quirked an eyebrow as he observed his opponent, the younger Saiyan's short golden forelock flicking in front of his face in the wind. "Well, this is... interesting."

Kaen just smirked, running a hand through his mass of crimson hair. "This is Fate. It's time to settle, once and for all, who is the stronger: New Blood, or Pure Blood."

Grinning, Gohan dropped into his fighting stance, quipping, "You really think that debate will be settled here?"

"No," Kaen replied, slipping into his own stance with a grin of his own, "But it'll be fun to try."

"That it will old friend, that it will."

The gong sounded, and all Hell broke loose.

_-You don't even feel the pain-_

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's notes:

[1] - This quote comes from 'A Starship Destiny', the lesser of the two web comics on Squidi-dot-net, back in the day. I've been waiting for an excuse to use it for _ages_.

[2] - The time listed here is actually the exact time between when I finished writing Disturbance chapter 1 (Sons of Plunder) and when I wrote that line. When I'd first planned out that scene, I'd always intended on the age difference being exactly how long it had been from start to finish. However, by the time I thought to look, I couldn't find the exact start time, and I didn't feel like modifying the finishing time to include both the scenes after, _and_ further edits for grammatical purposes, so... A compromise.

I'll be honest, I'm not sure how well the song fits this chapter, but I'd selected this song for this chapter ages ago, and I couldn't really care enough to try and find a more fitting one. If anyone knows of a song they think would fit better, they're free to let me know. I mean, I might not bother changing it, but it'd be nice to know anyway.

Well, that's it, this story is finally complete. It took me a handful of days shy of three full years to write, but now it's over, meaning I'll be able to give my full attention to writing Shades of Grey. Well, assuming I don't decide to start another story in the mean time.

For those who didn't notice, I actually uploaded three chapters at once, this being the third, so if you missed them, this chapter may not fit in particularly well.


End file.
